


Ctrl+V3

by woodomatsu



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Character Death Fix, F/F, Fix-It, IruMatsu, Kaemiu, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), New Dangan Ronpa V3 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2020-05-16 04:05:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 30,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19310272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodomatsu/pseuds/woodomatsu
Summary: Where things are set in stone, and she is destined to die, one small discovery can rewrite everything.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for clicking through to my Danganronpa V3 killing game fanfiction! As with my previous (and still ongoing!) V3 centric fic, I'd like to begin by outlining some key, non-spoiler points to see if this story will be something that's worth your time.
> 
> First off, this is an alternate series of events to V3's killing game. Those of you who know me on Twitter and elsewhere will know I'm not V3's biggest fan, but that I love the hell out of its characters and think there's just so much untapped potential there. I'm aiming to bring out that previously hinted at potential in many of the characters to create a more satisfying V3 for myself, and maybe some of you out there, too!
> 
> Just a couple more things: I won't be writing Monokuma's morning and night time addresses. I find these to be pretty tedious in every DR game and have elected not to copy/paste them a hundredfold in this fic. Also, no Monokubs! I'm sure some of you like them, but I couldn't stand any of them, and wanted to give more focus to Monokuma and less to his silly failsons.
> 
> So without further delay, here it is! I hope you enjoy! Feedback, kudos and constructive criticism are all very welcome!

Miu Iruma sprinted through the halls of the Academy for Gifted Juveniles. She wore a look of deep concern on her face, which was uncharacteristic for the inventor.

“Where is she...where the _fuck_ is she?!”

Miu panted as she checked every single room to no avail. She took a second look in the library and A/V room – a couple of locations with many nooks and crannies. Her quarry definitely wasn't here, though. As she ran back out of the room she bumped into classmate Rantaro Amami.

“Oof!” Miu yelped as her body collided with his.

“H-hey, Miu!” Rantaro said, slightly shocked at Miu's rapid pace. “What's got you so spooked? There a ghost in the library or something?”

“Shut it, avocado boy!” Miu panted. “Kaede. I need to find Kaede. Have you seen Kaede?!”

Rantaro shook his head. “I kinda broke away from the rest. Wanted to clear my head a little. Also could you stop violently shaking me?”

“In the library?!”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!!”

“Uhh...are you feeling okay?” the carefree Rantaro expressed some genuine concern.

“I'm fine...can you just...not go in there?” Miu oddly responded.

“Sorry, Miu. There's this book I saw earlier that I'm just dead set on reading. I figured, what the hell, if we're about to die anyway...”

“Fuckin' moron! The only people who are dying are you and that dumb Mozart humping bimbo if you don't tell me where she is!!”

“Huh...is that a threat?”

“Oh, _fuck this..._ ”

Miu sprinted off to continue her search unaided.

“Did you check the second floor?” Rantaro shouted after her.

Miu didn't respond, but the green haired boy's suggestion gave her something of a light bulb moment. The second floor...of course! Where else would she be at this time? Miu darted for the stairs as fast as she could, while Rantaro turned back to enter the library, shrugging and shaking his head at the inventor's strange behaviour.

On the second floor, Miu bolted down the corridor until she came across Shuichi, who looked like he'd just left a classroom!

“M-Miu?!” was all Shuichi had time to say as the busty inventor charged at him like a bull.

“Outta the way, pleb!” Miu crashed past the detective, knocking him off his feet as she threw the classroom door open. What she saw didn't make her very happy at all.

“K-Kaede!” Miu panted as she came face to face with the pianist. “I—I found you.”

“M-Miu?!” the nervous Kaede stammered. “How did you--”

“Never mind that!” Miu snapped. “Just...put that thing down. That thing you're holding...you don't know it yet but you're about to do _way_ more harm than good. I'm fucking begging here...”

Kaede wore a shocked expression as Miu stared her down from the doorway. She was holding something. A heavy looking spherical object. Kaede quickly tried to hide the object behind her back.

“Wh-what thing? I don't know what you're talking about!” the pianist nervously smiled, but it was no use.

“Drop it. Now,” Miu demanded.

The pianist sighed and dropped the object, a shotput ball, to the ground where it landed with a dull thud.

“Miu, I...I'm sorry,” was all Kaede could say.

“What's going on in here?” Shuichi appeared behind Miu, rubbing his side in some mild agony. Miu had perhaps body checked him a bit harder than she intended. Or, perhaps not.

“Ask your girlfriend, shit-for-brains,” Miu replied.

Shuichi looked at Kaede. The pianist was avoiding eye contact with the pair of them.

“Kaede...is there something I should know?” Shuichi looked down at the shotput, then over to a ventilation shaft that Kaede was stood next to. A chill ran down his spine. “S-surely you weren't...”

“Y-yeah,” Kaede sighed, “I was...planning to kill. Everything I've done with you, and Miu, up to this point...it was all to serve my plan. This _stupid_ plan...”

Her words made Shuichi's heart sink like a stone. His visage portrayed sadness and confusion, but mostly frustration and anger. He lowered his head, clenching his fists, all the while trying to come to terms with how Kaede had used him.

“B-but I wasn't planning on killing just anybody! Shuichi, listen...I was--”

“I don't want to hear it.”

Kaede gasped quietly. Shuichi's monotone reply pierced right through her. Without another word, Shuichi sauntered past Miu and out of the classroom. Moments later, Miu stormed over to Kaede and gave her a swift, sharp slap across her face.

“You're lucky that's all I'm gonna do to you!” Miu yelled.

“I'm sorry,” Kaede sheepishly replied. A weak apology was all she could manage. She'd been backstabbing and deceitful to people she considered friends. In the moment, she felt a deep disapointment and resentfulness of herself.

“Don't get me confused, I don't give a fuck if you kill or get killed. Neither you or any of the other dipshits here mean a thing to me.”

“I can explain...”

“Hey, did you hear me? I. Don't. Give. A fuck! What have you done these past few days, huh?! Nothing but order us around acting like you know best! Guess what? You don't fuckin' know anything! Keep manipulating us like that and all you're gonna do is get all of us killed, or maybe even just yourself! Drill that into your tiny brain! I'm outta here.”

“Miu, wait...”

“What is there to wait for? I managed to stop you. That's all. Later...”

“A-about that, I—how did you find me? How did you know what I was planning.”

“That's on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know.”

Miu left Kaede alone in the classroom. In her heart of hearts, all Kaede wanted to do was save her friends. She'd unofficially taken on the mantle of group leader because she ultimately wanted to get rid of the mastermind, ideally before the deadline. With Miu interjection, that deadline would now come and go without a death. Kaede had been prepared to put her own life on the line, but the opportunity had now passed. Kaede sat down at the nearest desk and contemplated her actions, wiping tears out of her eyes.

“Miu's right. Maybe there would've been a better way,” the pianist said to herself, “not that it'll matter now.”

All Kaede and the rest of them could do now was wait for Monokuma to end their lives himself. Kaede considered her plan to be a last ditch attempt at an escape. Now that plan was in ruins, and the ursine mastermind's deadline would come to pass. As if on cue, the bear's unwelcome visage appeared on the monitor in the classroom.

As Monokuma melodramatically cleared his throat, Kaede continued to wonder just how Miu knew what she had been planning. Kaede had been extra careful to remain secretive until she'd carried out the entire plan, or admit to it should she have failed to do so. Maybe Miu had created more cameras in secret, and hidden them around the academy. Kaede reminded herself that Miu _was_ the Ultimate Inventor. She didn't act smart, but she probably was in more ways than any of the students even realised.

“Attention students of the Academy for Gifted Juveniles! I am _very_ disappointed in you!” he bellowed through the loudspeaker. “How can I even begin beat some sense into you when you won't even obey your headmaster?!”

The bear definitely looked angry.

“But...you know what?” he continued. “I get it. Killing one of your classmates isn't easy. Perhaps expecting you to kill so soon, before you've _really_ gotten to know each other, was putting a little bit too much faith in you losers. So I'll tell ya what. I'm in a particularly good mood today. Ahem! After... _testing some equipment..._ on my darling Monokubs, I've worked off a lot of pent up stress. I'm gonna extend the deadline by 48 hours!”

Kaede looked up from her desk, wide eyed at the monitor. This wasn't the turn of events she'd expected.

“But I'm warning you now, and _only_ now...” Monokuma carried on his rant, “if a murder does not occur within those 48 hours, I'm going to be _especially_ perturbed! And I _will_ make sure to take your punishments nice and slowly! And you'd better hope you're first in line to be executed, because I'm gonna make you all watch, too! Aaaanyway, that's all for now! Happy killing!”

The monitor fell silent once again, the screen going blank. In an unexpectedly generous move, Monokuma had granted the students another two days of life. But now that her plan had been routed, Kaede had no choice but to take a step back, and attempt to reintegrate herself into the group. If anything, Miu's harshness and Shuichi's morose reaction had knocked some semblance of sense into the girl. A few minutes after Miu left, Kaede herself walked out of the classroom, unsure of how the next two days would play out.

* * *

 

In the academy's canteen, Ultimate Maid Kirumi Toujou volunteered to brew tea for five guests in the room with her.

“Thank you for doing this, Kirumi,” Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Artist said to the maid, “Atua above has noted and appreciates your service to us!”

“Hey, don't take her for granted okay?” responded Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut. “Kirumi's a maid but she's not your personal servant.”

“That's...precisely what a maid is, though, Kaito,” said Himiko Yumeno. The petite Ultimate Mage was noticeably more nervous than the others, which in fairness was to be expected.

“Hm hm, I appreciate your concern, Kaito,” Kirumi smiled, “but Himiko is quite right. No matter who or where, I live to serve. Such is the life of a maid.”

“Don't you ever get tired of it? Being ordered around all the time?” _The Ultimate Child Caregiver, Maki Harukawa, unexpectantly asked. Everyone turned to look at her, surprised at her sudden stir from silence._

“Quite the contrary, Maki,” Kirumi replied, “serving others gives me a sense of purpose. I may look calm on the surface, but that's only because I can still fulfill my role in the confines of this academy.”

“As a robot, I am unable to drink tea,” Kiibo chimed in, “but if you require any assistance at all, Kirumi, I would be glad to help!” The Ultimate Robot was taking all this quite well, and was positively brimming with energy.

The group of six did their best to put Monokuma's warning in the back of their minds. It was something that required a metric ton of mental constitution, but a growing sense of companionship held them together. At least for the time being.

“So, you think anyone's gonna do it?” Kaito morbidly asked.

“Come on, nobody wants to think about that,” Maki fired back, darting her deep crimson eyes at the aloof astronaut.

“Look, I know it's not an easy thing to bring up,” the astronaut continued, “but you gotta admit, two is better than sixteen, right?”

“Two?” Maki questioned, taking on a disappointed tone.

“Yeah, two. With Shuichi on the case, it's hard to believe whoever the culprit would be would get away with it, don'tcha think?”

“I have no doubt that Shuichi is a gifted detective,” Kirumi interjected, “but we shouldn't solely rely on his expertise to get us through this.”

“Yeah, Kirumi's right, I guess,” Himiko added, “it's gonna take all of us!”

“That's correct, Himiko!” Angie beamed. “We are all equals in this academy. Only almighty Atua could claim to be so omniscient!”

“I mean, sure, if Atua says so,” Kaito rolled his eyes.

“Oh, hey guys, what's up?” a deeper voice called from the canteen's entrance. It was Rantaro Amami. “Tsumugi and I just got done tidying the library. Someone went and messed up all the bookshelves, can't imagine why.”

“We didn't really need to do it,” the Ultimate Cosplayer Tsumugi Shirogane added, “but Rantaro said it would take our mind off of things. And he was right!”

“Rantaro, Tsumugi, welcome back!” Kiibo beamed. “Would you like me to fetch you both some tea? Kirumi has made plenty, and as a robot I am unable to drink any of it myself.”

“Tea sounds pretty great!” Rantaro smiled. His talent was unknown even to himself, but the students were too focused on other, more deadly matters, to pay it any mind.

Kiibo aided Kirumi in preparing more tea for the new arrivals, who continued to chat into the late afternoon.

* * *

 

Out in the courtyard, four more unfortunate classmate captives decided on some fresh air to clear their heads. They were Gonta Gokuhara, the giant but gentle Ultimate Entomologist, alongside feisty Tenko Chabashira, a morose Ryoma Hoshi and the rather unsettling Korekiyo Shinguji. These three were the Ultimate Aikido Master, Tennis Pro and Anthropologist respectively.

“Ahhhh, this really, really sucks!” Tenko burst out suddenly. “We're never gonna get out of here and I'm surrounded by disgusting men! I wish someone would just kill _me_ already!”

“Hey, come on,” Ryoma gently replied, “no use acting like that. Besides, nobody's died yet. If there's a way out, I'm sure we'll find it somehow.”

“That is one rather optimistic way of looking at things,” Korekiyo added, his tone as creepy as usual, “but perhaps you forgot Monokuma's timely announcement?”

“Nope, I didn't forget,” Ryoma responded, “but thanks for bringing that right back into the forefront of my mind.”

“Gonta sure to not kill anyone,” the bug lover said urgently, “everyone been so nice to Gonta. Couldn't possibly imagine murdering friends!”

“Hehe, thank you, Gonta! For a degenerate male you sure are a sweetheart!”

“Of course! Gonta not quite know what degenerate means, but thanks Tenko all the same!”

“Kekekeke...” Korekiyo giggled under his breath.

“Something funny?” Ryoma furrowed his brow at the masked student.

“Oh, it's nothing,” he replied, “it is just so strangely endearing to see you all, complete strangers, try so hopelessly to get along.”

“Well, maybe hope's the only thing keeping us going,” Ryoma said pessimistically, “and there's already precious little of it going around.”

“Mark my words, there will be a murder in the next 48 hours. Of that I am certain,” the others could faintly make out a smirk under Korekiyo's mask.

“K-Korekiyo not planning on murder?!”

“Of course not,” he shrugged back, “to do so would be folly. I'm a meticulous person, and I feel that very meticulousness would be my undoing. I'll save murder for the amateurs. Perhaps the sexually frustrated inventor, or that holier-than-thou pianist girl.”

“Hey, Kaede's doing her best, you degenerate! At least she cares!”

“Kekeke, we shall see. We shall see.”

With that, Korekiyo turned and left for the dorms. It was getting late, but the three of them were hesitant to follow him right away.

“Ugh, that guy seriously gives me the creeps,” Tenko shuddered, “I can feel my skin crawl when he's around.”

“You got that right,” Ryoma nodded, dragging on his cigarette, “although oddly, I do believe him when he says he's not gonna kill anyone.”

“Wait, really?! I think he fits the bill down to a T!”

“Yeah, he sure looks the part, but he's not wrong. Think about the kinda people we've got here.”

“Hmm, ah! Gonta see your point!”

Ryoma nodded. “The most obvious one is Shuichi, the detective. The guy's trained for stuff like this, I would assume. Kaede strikes me as being pretty perceptive, too.”

“True, true!” Tenko nodded enthusiastically. “We also have Kirumi who's definitely super smart! And Miu's a little weird, but she's kind of a genius, too!”

“Right, right. Then there's Kokichi.”

“Ugghh...another degenerate creep. That guy might be the worst of us all!”

“He rubs me the wrong way, too, but there's something about him. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's like he can see right through you, no matter what you do.”

“Yeah. Gonta get that impression about him, too. But Gonta believe Kokichi is not bad guy!”

“Make of him what you will,” Ryoma said, “but he strikes me as someone you _don't_ want on your bad side.”

* * *

 

As night drew closer, Kaede's stress levels were at an all time high. She still felt horrible for how she'd treated Miu and Shuichi, so she decided to let off some steam in the Pianist's Lab. As she opened the door, the smell of freshly cut pine enveloped her. She was instantly at peace in here. She thought it to be a little strange that such a ghastly academy could have such a comforting space all for herself, but at times like this it was exactly what she needed to just let go and relax, if only for a few minutes.

Kaede had previously pledged to play one of her favourite songs for Shuichi: Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. It had always been a piece that put her mind at ease, and she'd hoped it would do the same for the nervous detective. But now playing it seemed in poor taste. Kaede had done naught but make Shuichi feel considerably worse. Thus she took a deep breath, and set her mind on playing something more cheery and upbeat.

She settled on playing Mozart's  [ Turkish March ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMjQygwPI1c) . As her fingers sprightly danced across the keys, Kaede tried thinking optimistically. No one had died yet, and while deep down a part of her wished she'd thrown the shotput ball, it may have been best that she didn't for her own wellbeing. Kaede knew she could be pushy, bossy and even a little controlling, but she was the very picture of selflessness – no matter the cost. If that cost was killing one to save many, then so be it.

However, as she sat there with time to rationalise her thought process, she realised that killing would not only lead to herself losing her life, it would likely also create a domino effect that would properly set the killing game in motion. There's always another way, she thought to herself as she concluded playing. She smiled. Another flawless performance. It was just a shame no one was there to watch. Or so she thought.

“Very impressive!” someone shouted from the doorway of her lab. They were clapping slowly but rhythmically. “I must say you've more than earned your title as the Ultimate Pianist.”

Kaede spun around to greet the origin of the voice. It was none other than Kokichi Ouma, Ultimate Supreme Leader. His compliments seemed well-meaning, but his mischievous smile could have suggested otherwise. Kaede remained silent.

“I'm booooored,” Kokichi moaned, throwing his arms behind his head, “do you wanna hang out?”

Kaede was a little taken aback by his blunt request. It was getting late, but she saw no reason to turn Kokichi down. After all, he was the person she knew the least about. Most of the others had made it quite clear how they felt about the pianist, but Kokichi was still quite a mystery to her.

“Sure thing,” Kaede smiled invitingly, “is there anything in particular you wanna do?”

Kokichi rummaged through one of the cabinets in the lab, eagerly muttering to himself, until he found something that he was very much interested in doing. He pulled out an item that Kaede didn't even know was in the room, nor would she have any reason to believe it would be in a lab designed for a musician. It was an ornate chessboard, complete with finely crafted wooden pieces.

Kokichi smirked and presented the board to Kaede by holding it out in front of her. “How's your game?”

“Uhhh,” Kaede hesitated, “can I play chess? Yes. I know the rules, but--”

“Aww, c'mon, Kaede!” Kokichi goaded the pianist by holding out his fists close in front of him. He leaned his upper body ever so slightly forward. “The basic rules are all you need! Everything else falls into place the more you play, y'know!” 

Kaede could tell he was keen – there was a sparkle in his eyes that betrayed his difficult personality.

“I'm so bored, Kaede!” the purple haired miscreant insisted. “You'll indulge me, right?”

“Well, okay!” Kaede smiled. “I could use a break from the piano, anyway.”

Kaede and Kokichi pulled up a table and, after setting up their pieces, sat opposite each other.

“In a beginner environment, white usually has the advantage,” Kokichi explained, “so feel free to make any move you want!”

Kaede carefully studied her pieces. She was familiar with the fundamentals of chess. She knew what each piece could do, and the criteria for both check and checkmate. She glanced across the table at her opponent. Kokichi looked straight back. He looked happy, yet subtly confident. His expression screamed that he  _knew_ he was going to win, and Kaede had no reason to doubt this. He looked like someone who would be good at chess, Kaede thought to herself, opting not to say it out loud in case any offense would be caused.

The pianist looked back at her pieces, and after a few more moments, nudged one of her central pawns a couple of spaces forward. Barely even a second later, Kokichi had moved one of his own in response. This trend continued for the next ten turns or so, at which point the board was sufficiently populated by a chaotic mess of black and white. Each move Kaede took her time to make, the supreme leader responded in literally the next breath.

“I can't help but feel like you're one step ahead of me every single move,” Kaede said, acknowledging Kokichi's ability to swiftly respond to Kaede's moves.

“Hmm, perhaps one move, perhaps two. Maybe it's three,” the young jester smirked back, “though I have to admit, it's refreshing to play someone who actually takes their time thinking of their next move.”

“You think so?” Kaede asked. Kokichi was seemingly implying she was doing the right thing.

“In games like chess or shogi, or hell – even checkers – the best thing a beginner can do is take their time planning out their next move,” Kokichi explained, “this isn't a sanctioned competition, so there's no limit to the amount of time you have during a move.”

“Competitive chess has time limits?!” Kaede exclaimed.

“Not all of them, but most serious competitions do.”

“Wow,” Kaede sighed, “I'm already on edge. I'd hate to be pressured by _another_ time limit right now.”

“Ah yeah, that's right,” Kokichi's eyes lit up slightly.

“You forgot about that?”

“Kinda. Been doing a bit of investigating of my own, y'know? It's hard to keep up with everyone's current events!”

“Even when Monokuma blares them through every loudspeaker in the building?”

“Eh, I don't particularly care to listen to a word that bear says.”

“Heh, yeah, I suppose I get that.”

The match went on in silence for some time. Kaede had played herself into a disadvantageous position. It got to a point where almost every other move, the purple haired scamp was taking a piece from her.

“Whew, I'm really sucking right now!” Kaede chuckled nervously. “Hey, Kokichi?”

“Hm?” Kokichi's head snapped up from the board to meet Kaede's eyes.

“I haven't seen a whole lot of you since we got here. What have you been up to?”

“Oh, this and that,” he responded with a smirk, “been casing the place – at least the floors that aren't locked off – but mostly I've been...familiarising myself with Kiibo!”

Kaede's brow furrowed. “You should be nice to Kiibo! He's as stressed out as the rest of us without you tormenting him!”

“Aww, come on,” Kokichi rolled his eyes, “he's a robot! Robots can't feel stress!”

“Oh yeah? He's doing a good enough job showing it!”

Kokichi sighed. “Do you really think that tin can has feelings? It's all a big lie, Kaede. He's not having thoughts or feelings, it's all just programming! I know because Miu told me!”

“Well, if anyone would know, I suppose it would be her,” Kaede resigned.

“For sure! I bet she's already done some tinkering with him in that lab of hers. She's probably turned his eyes into projectors so she can watch weird fetish porn, or something.”

“Ugh, that's disgusting, Kokichi!” Kaede was growing visibly uncomfortable. She didn't want to know what was running through his head right now.

“I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Let's get back to the game, shall we?”

About an hour or so later, Kokichi declared checkmate. As Kaede had suspected, it had been a thoroughly one-sided contest, though she had definitely tried her best.

“Congratulations,” Kaede smiled and sighed.

“Heyy, don't look so down!” Kokichi grinned. “You've got the makings of a half decent chess player!”

“Heh, thanks, I guess.”

“Y'know, I think you're the only genuinely fun person in this place.”

“I'll um...take that as a compliment?”

“Hey, we should do this again sometime!” Kokichi responded excitedly. “Assuming none of us are viciously murdered tomorrow, that is.”

Kaede couldn't quite pin down what kind of person the supreme leader really was, but looking at his expression right now, she thought that he's quite possibly just an overgrown child.

“Sure, I'd like that,” she finally said.

Kokichi shook Kaede's hand and skipped out of the lab. Before he left, he turned to Kaede once more.

“Hey, Kaede?” he asked.

“Yeah? What is it, Kokichi.”

“Thanks for the game.”

He turned back away and left Kaede to her own devices. As he said that, Kaede noted the genuity of his remark. Who knew that Kokichi, of all people, would be the one to put a smile on her face? The pianist yawned and stretched. It was only then that she realised they'd been playing in total darkness the entire time. With the game out of the way, though, Kaede saw no reason not to go to bed anymore, and headed back to the dorms posthaste.

As she arrived, she turned to look at Shuichi's room. She assumed he was in there, and wondered how he felt.

“I hope his mood has improved, too,” she said to herself, “I'll have to check in on him tomorrow. I owe him a pretty big apology, after all.”

Kaede didn't see anyone on her way back to the dorms. She could only assume that she was the last person to return, and headed straight to bed. Despite everything that had happened, she slept reasonably well that night.

 


	2. 01 - Daily Life

Morning broke over the academy. Monokuma's obnoxious claxon stirred Kaede from her sleep. The groggy pianist clambered out of bed and stretched, settling into her morning routine just as she would back home. It was an element of normalcy in her day that brought her some much needed comfort. As Kaede brushed her teeth, she made a mental checklist of things she wanted to get accomplished today.

Most importantly of all, she wanted to make amends with Shuichi and Miu, as well as many of the other classmates who grew weary of her. Kaede was bossy and pushy by nature, and she knew it. It wasn't a trait she shied away from demonstrating, but she acknowledged it was a flaw of her character all the same. The best she could do then, was show that there was much more to her than that less appealing side of her. She wasn't about to attempt a murder again any time soon, so the time was ripe to get people back on her side.

As it turns out, an easy opportunity to do so presented itself as soon as she stepped out of the dorms. Across the way, sitting in the courtyard, were Tenko and Himiko. Tenko immediately noticed Kaede and wasted no time in running over to her.

"Kaede!" Tenko embraced the blonde in a warm hug.

"Uhh, g-good morning, Tenko!" Kaede shyly stammered.

The Ultimate Aikido Master released her lock on Kaede and backed away a few steps. "How are you doing today?"

"Ah, happy to still be alive, I guess!" the pianist laughed nervously.

"W-wait, did someone try to kill you already?!" Tenko assumed a protective battle stance. "Which one of them gross men was it, huh?! Tenko'll deck 'em!"

"Are you always this hyperactive?" Himiko sleepily sauntered up besides Tenko. "I already need a nap...nyeh..."

"Himiko! Can you beleive one of those degenerate males already tried to kill Kaede?!"

"N-no, Tenko," Kaede raised her hands to ease the alert girl, "I'm fine! Nobody's tried to kill me. Not yet, anyway."

Tenko smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "Very well then! Consider yourself enlisted in the Chabashira protection squad! Along with all the other girls!"

"Uhh, thanks, Tenko. I appreciate it!" Kaede didn't really know what was going on, but she didn't want to admit to the bubbly Aikido Master that it was, indeed, far too early for this kind of nonsense.

"Hey, Tenko, can we go get breakfast now?" Himiko grumpily chimed in. "I'm sure Kaede is as hungry as I am."

"Now that you mention it, Himiko, I'm starving," the pianist placed a hand on her stomach, "I think the stress of being in this place is starting to affect my appetite. in a big way."

"Well, you're in luck!" Tenko grinned. "Kirumi's promised a  _legendary_ breakfast! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!"

"Nyeh...let's get going, then! Normally I can just magic food into my belly, but I guess this place has an anti-magic barrier surrounding it or something."

* * *

Kaede, Tenko and Himiko entered the canteen a few minutes later. The smell emanating from the corridor had been irresistible.

"Mmm, I wonder what she's making?" Kaede asked the other two, in reference to Kirumi's cooking.

By the looks of things, the rest of the group were already in the canteen. Everyone was sat around the central communal table, as Kirumi and an apron-wearing Kiibo set down myriad plates of hot breakfast food.

"Kaede! Himiko! Tenko!" Kiibo waved at the girls who had just entered the room. "Please take a seat. Kirumi and I have prepared a delicious breakfast feast!"

"Hehehe, bold of you to assume it's delicious. Being a robot and all..." Kokichi interjected with a sly grin.

"Excuse me! I'll have you know that my memory banks have information stored on over three million different styles of continental breakfasts!" Kiibo proudly retorted.

"And yet you can't eat a single one of them. It's tragic, really."

Kiibo and Kokichi continued to squabble as Kaede found her seat, along with Tenko and Himiko who sat either side of her. Kaede looked across the table, off to the right. Kaito was talking to Shuichi enthusiastically. However, the detective looked like he was in no mood to talk back. Himiko noticed that Kaede had been looking at him for a prolonged amount of time.

"Did you two have a falling out, or something?" Himiko questioned the blonde.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Kaede replied, stirred from her fixation on Shuichi, "you could say something like that."

Kaede looked back at him out of her peripheral vision. For a brief moment, they caught each other in eye contact. Kaede looked away almost immediately - the girl was still recovering from the shame of using him in the way she had.

"Breakfast is served!" Kiibo yelled, mercifully piercing through the awkwardness of the moment.

"I can't believe they had all the ingredients here for a traditional English breakfast," Kirumi smiled, "I felt as if a hearty meal would surely lift everyone's spirits, even if just a little."

Kaede's eyes lit up at the spread. Plates loaded to the brim with bacon, sausages, hash browns, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes filled the air with a deliciously fatty scent.

"Oh, man! This is exactly the kinda food we need right now!" Kaito raised his fist joyously. "Thanks, Kirumi!"

Several of the others joined him in thanking the maid. She bowed courteously.

"Kirumi, it would be a shame if you didn't help yourself to some of this delicious food, too," Angie smiled and clasped her hands together.

"Yeah, for real," Rantaro nodded, "grab a plate and eat up!"

"Ah, that won't be necessary," the ever modest maid replied, "I made sure to eat my own breakfast before preparing all of yours."

"Really? What did you have?" Kaede asked.

"I simply prepared miso soup and rice balls. That's always enough to fill me up for the morning."

"Yeah, but that's so boring!" Kokichi interjected.

"For once I find myself agreeing with Kokichi," Tsumugi added, "it only seems fair that you help yourself to some of your own cooking, right?"

"Hm, perhaps I will help myself to some leftovers afterwards," Kirumi smiled.

Kaede stopped eating for a moment and looked around the room. Everyone was present and accounted for. She took another glance at Shuichi. Next to him were Maki, Kaito and Gonta, who all seemed to be talking amicably. Although Shuichi and Maki looked unsurprisingly reserved. Elsewhere on the table, Ryoma was having a conversation with Angie, Rantaro, Kiibo and Korekiyo. This conversation looked to be a lot more lively than the former. It was only then that Kaede noticed that not everyone, in fact, were present and accounted for.

"Um, has anyone seen Miu?" the pianist said with concern in her voice.

Looking around the table, Kaede noted the collective shaking of heads. This concerned her quite deeply. If no one had seen the inventor that morning, or at least hadn't claimed to have seen her, then she could be anywhere. Possibly even...no, Kaede erased that thought from her mind immediately. But it did give the pianist enough agency to do something about it.

"I'm gonna go look for her," Kaede stood up from her chair, "Kirumi, thank you for such a delicious breakfast!"

"It was my pleasure, Kaede," Kirumi bowed.

"Hey, Kaede, you not gonna finish that?" Tenko pointed towards Kaede's plate. There was still a decent amount of food there left untouched.

"I've had my fill," Kaede replied, "by all means finish it if you like!"

With that, Kaede left the canteen briskly, leaving the others to finish breakfast.

* * *

"If nobody's seen her this morning," Kaede said to herself, "it's quite possible Miu made a beeline straight for her lab."

The pianist walked through the now deserted halls of the academy, stepping past the overgrown flora that curiously decorated the floor and walls. What a truly strange place this was, she thought. As she continued to walk, she thought back to what could have been. What if Miu hadn't stopped her from throwing the shotput ball? Would she still be alive right now? Or would she be Monokuma's first example to the rest of the group? Kaede shuddered at the thought. Whatever the bear would've had in store for her was beyond her scope of imagination, and she was quite happy in keeping it that way.

As she stepped out into the fresh air, Kaede glanced into the distance at the makeshift wall that barred the academy from civilisation. She had already tried, and failed, to lead the group to escape via an underground exit. It had been an exercise in futility, and one that made many of the others wary of her. Not that she could blame them for that. That said, Kaede couldn't deny the frustration she felt at the passive nature of her classmates. She had never been one to sit back and simply accept things to be the way they are - that's partly how she found her success as a renowned pianist. Fame and success were two things that had eventually come natural to her, but through her parents' guidance she never let that notoriety go to her head. Despite her privileged background and knack for succeeding, Kaede remained a relatively modest person. Stubborn, but modest. In fact, Miu's previous interjection was absolutely the reality check she needed in that moment.

"Hello? Miu?"

Kaede reached Miu's Ultimate Lab and let herself in. To her relief, she found the inventor tinkering away at one of her many workbenches.

"God, does no one in this place have any fuckin' manners?" Miu brashly snapped.

"Oh? What'cha working on over there?" Kaede asked, swatting aside the inventor's less than welcoming tone.

"The fuck do you want?!" Miu replied in frustration, turning around to face Kaede. "Can't you read the sign?"

"Um, what sign?"

"The sign on the fuckin' door. It says  _no annoying pianists allowed._ But I guess if ya got this far it just means ya can't read, huh?"

"Do you wanna drop the attitude for a sec?!" Kaede snapped back.

"Aaahh!! A-alright, what do you want?!" Miu recoiled in what could only be described as a whiplash of personality.

Kaede took a deep breath. "Look," she began, "firstly I was wondering if you were coming to the canteen for breakfast? You were the only one absent so we were a little worried. Especially with the deadline and all..."

"I'll grab something later," Miu replied timidly, "like you said, I'm thinkin' about that deadline, too. Tryna keep a low profile. Figured I'd just bury my head in my work to take my mind off things."

"Oh, yeah, I get that. If you want I could go fetch you some food, if you'd rather stay alone?"

"Why do you care, anyway? You already dicked me over once. I thought I made it pretty plain I don't even wanna see you, let alone hear your dumb nasally voice."

Kaede thought it best to brush that one aside. Getting into an argument with Miu, as she knew too well at this point, was fruitless and exhausting.

"That leads me to my second thing, actually," Kaede sighed, "I know this is neither here nor there for you, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I used you, Miu. I thought I was doing things in the best interests of the group, but...I don't even know if I'd still be alive right now if it weren't for your intervention. So, thanks. And again, I don't think I can apologise enough for how I treated you. Both you and Shuichi."

Miu was silent. She turned her back to Kaede and focused again on her work. Kaede took that as a signal to leave.

"I'll...see myself out," the pianist smiled wryly, "don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Kaede."

"Yeah? What is it?"

Miu took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Miu..."

"But don't fuckin' pull that shit again, ya hear?!" Miu pointed a screwdriver towards Kaede. "I pulled your head out of your pussy once, I can't guarantee you'll just shove it right back in there again!"

"G-gross," Kaede grimaced, "do you always have to be so repulsive?"

"Hey, I didn't ask for a lecture on my decorum, okay? Just do us all a favour and stop acting like a fuckin' moron, you got it?"

"Y-yeah, I got it, jeez."

With that, Kaede left Miu's lab. She was happy to (somehwat) make amends with the inventor. Now that she had some free time to herself, she set about searching for Shuichi. As breakfast was long over by now, Kaede would have to look all over the academy for him. Still, with roughly a day before the deadline was here, she had more than enough time to find and talk to him for a bit. 


	3. 01 - Free Time

"Oh, hey, Kaito!" Kaede waved to the astronaut as she walked past the courtyard. He was sat on a hilly patch of grass, opposite the dorms and near the staircase.

"Kaede! How's it goin'?" Kaito smiled brightly at the pianist.

Kaede found Kaito's calm composure to be bizarre. It flew in the face of the dire situation the students were facing. She was too nice to admit it, but it was deeply frustrating to her, who couldn't help but think - increasingly so - that she was the only sane person at the academy. But that was a thought best kept to herself. About half of the students already weren't Kaede's biggest fans, thus there was no need to stir the pot any more than necessary.

"I'm alright. Y'know, considering..." the pianist sheepishly responded.

"Yeah, I hear ya. This ain't a situation I ever thought I'd find myself in," Kaito's smile grew more reserved, "but you make do with the hand you're dealt, right?"

"Of course, I just...I just wish I could be as calm as you about all this."

"Calm? Nah, Kaede, I'm terrified!" the astronaut betrayed his words with another beaming smile. "Just no point in getting so down in the dumps about it. Like Shuichi..."

"Shuichi? What about him?"

"The guy won't say what's wrong with him," Kaito sighed, finally dropping his erstwhile grin, "he didn't eat much at breakfast, either. Everyone else is trying to get along as best they can. But Shuichi doesn't have much interest in us."

"I uhh..." Kaede hesitated for a second, but realising she had no reason to hide anything, continued, "I may have had something to do with that."

Kaito looked her in the eyes. "How so?" he said sternly.

Kaede looked towards the sky, sighing deeply, before airing everything out to Kaito. She explained her plot to kill the mastermind in painstaking detail, not leaving out how it involved using both Miu and Shuichi for her own gain.

"But now I realise how foolish that would've been," Kaede finished, shamefully avoiding eye contact with Kaito, "Miu drilled it into me that I'd probably just end up getting myself killed. Hubris, and all that, y'know?"

"Huh. I uh...I see," Kaito had the look of someone who, understandably, was trying to process more information than he possibly ever could, "so I'm guessing that's why you're looking for him? To make amends?"

"That's right. I already apologised to Miu," Kaede nodded, "if I could do the same with Shuichi, it'll be a huge weight off my shoulders. And I'm...I'm worried about him."

"Well, not that  _I_ think you did anything wrong, but I'm sure he'd appreciate the gesture," Kaito reassured the girl, "if you're looking for him, I'd say your best bet would be the second floor. Said he wanted to be alone a while, and nobody's goin' up there in a hurry."

The second floor, huh, Kaede thought to herself. Perhaps he's where her plan fell to pieces, in one of the classrooms.

"Thanks, Kaito," Kaede smiled with renewed vigour. She said her goodbyes to the astronaut and headed back to the main building.

"Oh, Kaede, just one more thing!" Kaito shouted after her.

"Yeah? What's up?" Kaede looked back over her shoulder.

"I was just wondering...do you know where my lab is?"

"Uhhh..." Kaede resigned and shook her head, "the only ones I've seen so far are Miu's and mine. But I'm sure everyone else's will be revealed eventually, right?"

"Right, I suppose so. Or, could be that you and Miu are special. Connected in some way, y'know?"

"Ahh, I'm not so sure about that!" Kaede chuckled nervously.

"Hah, never mind me. I'm just pushin' your buttons. Go see Shuichi already!"

Kaede nodded and turned towards the academy again. As she walked through the entrance, she ran Kaito's inquiry through her head again. It had certainly given her food for thought. Just when exactly will everyone's labs reveal themselves? The most logical solution was they're not currently accessible, perhaps on the upper floors which were still barred from entry. A chilling thought entered Kaede's mind: maybe the only way to access those floors would be...no, the pianist shook her head. Now definitely wasn't the time to entertain thoughts like that again.

* * *

The second floor was predictably devoid of activity. The atmosphere would be a lot more intense were it not for the music playing on loop from speakers embedded in the academy's numerous monitors. It was a strangely relaxing song, mixing electronic beats with a calming piano melody running throughout the piece. While the song ran the risk of becoming repetitive over time, at the very least it was able to take Kaede's mind off of her and the other students' impending doom.

It appeared that Kaito was accurate in his assumption of where Shuichi was. As Kaede entered the classroom, she saw the detective sat behind a desk towards the back of the room.

"H-hey, Shuichi," Kaede tried.

Shuichi looked up from the electronic notebook that each student had been given.

"Oh, good afternoon, Kaede," he replied flatly.

"I was...just wondering if you had some free time? I...know I'm not your favourite person right now, but...I thought it might be nice to clear the air a bit."

"Sure," Shuichi answered quickly, to the pianist's surprise.

Kaede smiled and pulled up a chair next to his desk. She wasn't going to hold his hand this time, pretending that everything was going to be okay. This awkward situation required a very different line of conversation.

"So, before I say anything else, I really want to apologise for how I treated you," Kaede began, "that plan of mine was extremely rash and...not to mention a little dumb...but the way I used you as a part of it was just wrong."

Kaede stopped for a moment to let Shuichi speak, but the detective remained awkwardly silent, so she pressed on.

"I just hope you know that I wasn't doing it out of malice, or to prove a point, or anything like that. It's just...it's not very often that I get to meet a group of people that I really care about."

"Oh?" Shuichi raised his head.

"I know, I know. This isn't exactly the ideal kind of place to meet new friends. And to tell you the honest truth, I'm terrified. I was, and still am, deeply scared of you all losing your lives without any kind of control over it!"

"Kaede..." the detective noticed tears forming in her eyes. Tears that she quickly wiped away with her sleeve.

"I'm just sorry. I'm really sorry, Shuichi. I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing. But Miu gave me a much needed wake up call. I think I would've just ended up making myself a victim, literally."

At that moment, Kaede felt something on the back of her hand. She looked up to see Shuichi smiling warmly. This time it was his turn to comfort her.

"I-it's alright, Kaede," he said softly, "It's not like  _I_ didn't act rashly when I stormed out of the classroom yesterday. I won't lie, I did feel a little betrayed. My heart sank when you told us your plan. But only...only because I don't want to lose you. If I saw you as anything less than a friend, I don't think I would've cared as much. So, that's the only reason it hurt me as much as it did."

"Sh-Shuichi, I..."

"Like you said, this isn't the ideal place to really get to know anyone. It really sucks to say it, but, any one of us could die in here. Hell, maybe it'll be all of us, if Monokuma's to be believed."

"Y-yeah..."

"Y'know, I'm not all that great at making friends. Before we got here, most of my free time was spent with my uncle, going over case notes, or just reading old detective novels. I'm really not the most interesting or outgoing person. Most of the other students here actually intimidate me a little. But I don't get that feeling with you. I really feel like everything will be okay when you're around. If I lost that, then..."

"Heh, then I guess we're more alike than we thought, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, outside of this awful place, I lead a pretty sheltered life, too."

"Really? Hard to imagine that's the case for a famous pianist!"

"Oh, well, that's actually not as much of a strength as you might think. Sure, I've won the admiration of hundreds of crowds, all across the country, but when it comes to making friends? Nobody wants to even know."

"So...people are intimidated by you, or something?"

"I...think so. Even at school, I never really gelled with any particular social circle. My fame was viewed more as a stigma. Even though I consider myself an approachable person, my classmates could never separate average schoolgirl Kaede from renowned pianist Kaede."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. Believe me, though, I wouldn't trade my talent for the world. I've been able to bring joy to so many people, even if the cost is being uniquely isolated in my personal life. Y'know, I don't think many people would miss me if I die here. That's in part what convinced me to go after the mastermind in the first place. I...thought this would be my calling, I guess."

"No."

"Hm?"

Shuichi placed his other hand on top of Kaede's, confidently looking her in the eye.

"We're getting out of here. Together. You, me, and everyone else. Let's beat that deadline and leave this place in the past where it belongs."

"Shuichi..."

"I can't say I agree with how you tried to handle things. And even though Miu was harsh, I agree with her. I don't want you, or anyone else, to think they have to risk their life like you wanted to. There's always another way."

"Yeah, that's right." Kaede nodded confidently. "Okay, no more scheming behind your back from me."

"Is that a promise?"

"Yup! That's a promise. Let's get out of here together, Shuichi!"

Both Kaede and Shuichi left the classroom together in high spirits. Now more than ever, they were determined to find an escape. It wasn't going to be easy - Monokuma surely heard every word of their conversation - however, the ursine headmaster had faded into the background for the last day or so. Kaede thought this wasn't a sign of weakness on his part, though. No, Monokuma was surely far more calculating and in control than she could possibly imagine. In a way, his silence was deafening. Deep down, she knew Monokuma wouldn't have to lift a finger to stop the students in their tracks. The towering, automated Exisals were proof of that alone.

Still, Kaede was glad to have confided in the detective. She felt like she'd gotten to know him better, clear the air around them and most importantly, begin to forge a strong bond with him.

* * *

After the two parted ways, Kaede suddenly found herself with nothing to do. It was a void she was eager to fill - anything to take her mind off the increasing likelihood of their impending doom. She thought about what the other students could be doing right about now. Was there anyone who would be keeping themselves occupied, to an almost professional state?

"Oh, that's right!" Kaede's face lit up. Surely Kirumi was doing an excellent job of keeping herself busy at present, being the maid that she was.

Kaede made her way back to Kaito, who was still sat in the same place he was earlier, aimlessly staring toward the sky. Upon asking the astronaut if he'd seen Kirumi, he nodded and pointed over to the dorms. Entering the dorms, Kaede noticed a number of the doors to the students' rooms had been opened. The dull whirring of a vacuum cleaner could be heard from Shuichi's room, of all places. Peeking inside, Kaede immediately noticed Kirumi tending to the detective's room.

"Um, Kirumi?" Kaede said, knocking lightly on the door.

Kirumi instinctively powered off the vacuum cleaner and turned to face Kaede. "Greetings, Kaede. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ah, I was just looking to keep myself busy, actually," the pianist replied gently, "I was wondering if you needed help with anything?"

"That's nice of you, but that won't be necessary," Kirumi said flatly, "I wouldn't be much of a maid if I had to rely on others to carry out my duties."

"I-it's not so much that, I just figured you could use some company. Take your mind off of things, y'know?"

"While my work is keeping me sufficiently occupied, I suppose I wouldn't mind the conversation. Please, take a seat."

Kirumi motioned a hand towards Shuichi's bed.

"Um...is that okay? You did just make the bed, and all."

"Well, you're not exactly planning to jump inside of it, are you?"

"Ha, n-no, I suppose not."

Kaede sat and watched Kirumi for a spell. Considering they'd only been imprisoned for a few days now, Kaede couldn't imagine there was much to actually clean in the dormitories yet. Still, there was an elegance to Kirumi's handiwork that was almost mesmerising. She made cleaning look  _fun._

"You seem to be taking all this rather well, Kirumi," Kaede said.

"Hm? Do you think so?" Kirumi replied, looking a little puzzled at the pianist's remark.

"Well, maybe you're just doing a better job of hiding it than everyone else. But to me it just seems like being kidnapped and threatened with imminent death hasn't made you so much as bat an eyelid. Why is that?"

"It's simple, really. I can't afford to."

"Huh?"

"As a maid, I have to remain steadfast in my duties, no matter the situation."

"But wouldn't you agree that this is a pretty extraordinary situation? You're allowed to panic or feel scared, you know."

"I appreciate your concern, Kaede, but answer me this. Were you not the one trying tirelessly to bring everyone together and find a way out?"

"Uh, y-yes, why?"

"So you're aware of what a coping mechanism is, then."

"O-oh...so, staying dedicated to your work is a way of coping with the situation?"

"Mhm, though I won't lie. I have built up a...resistance, to strong emotional reactions. Training your whole life as a servant will do that to you."

"That's...a little sad."

"I disagree. In case you were worried, I'm perfectly content with my role in life. You must be, too, to be so accomplished in your field, correct?"

"Uh, well, I have ups and downs about it..."

"That's understandable. To err is human, after all."

"Of course, but, it seems to me now that living the life I have is what got me into this mess in the first place."

"That is a distinct possibility. But if we really want to get out of here, relying on what-ifs doesn't seem like the best course of action, right?"

"I don't see how it could make much difference either way."

"Simply put, it's distracting you from what's really important. This may sound strange to you, but having people to serve even in the most dire situations has been an effective way for me to cope. Even more so when my own Ultimate Lab opens up I would wager."

"Hm, I'll admit it did me wonders to be able to relax and play piano in my lab."

"I'm happy to hear it."

* * *

 

While Kaede had formed a better understanding of Kirumi and her mindset, she also felt like their conversation hadn't really gone anywhere. Kaede couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Kirumi was able to maintain such tranquil composure. While she herself had managed to do so through sheer force of will, the process had been relentlessly exhausting. For Kirumi, however, it seemed like just another day. Coping mechanism or not, Kiruimi had shown absolutely no outward signs of stress or discomfort. It saddened Kaede - just how much or how little humanity resided within Kirumi? Would Kaede be able to help the maid come out of her shell, or would that lack of humanity make the act of murder trivial? Kaede shook that thought vigorously out of her mind. She still refused to believe anyone here would be capable of such a thing, herself notwithstanding.

The day slowly drew to a close, and the students had one by one made their way back to the dorms, just in time for Monokuma's nightly announcement.

"Attention, students!" on cue, Monokuma aired himself on the monitor in Kaede's room. "Your headmaster would  _very kindly_ like to remind you that your deadline is drawing  _awfully_ close!"

"Ugh, please shut up..." Kaede whispered as she threw herself under the duvet of her bed.

"Should a body not be discovered by tomorrow afternoon,  _you're all gettin' the axe!_ So do me a favour and get to the killing already! Sweet dreams, everyone!"

The monitor shut off as quickly as it had turned on. Kaede had a much harder time sleeping that night. Getting to know a selection of students had only made the thought of losing them even tougher. It was getting to the point where she once again was considering drastic action. She knew it wasn't wise, and that she'd be no more successful than her first attempt, but she would do anything to help her new friends.

It was then that she suddenly heard something slip under her dorm room door. She looked over towards the door, and in the darkness she could barely make out a small scrap of paper lying on the ground. Climbing out of bed, she turned the light on and unfolded the piece of paper.

_MEET ME IN THE LIBRARY TOMORROW, FIRST THING. BY THE SECRET DOOR. DON'T TALK TO ANYONE. DON'T EVEN GO FOR BREAKFAST. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST. I HAVE A PLAN._

_MIU_

A chill ran down the girl's spine. Just what had Miu been up to all this time? If she did indeed have a plan, though, it wasn't like Kaede had anything to lose. She placed the note to one side and went back to bed. First thing tomorrow, she would head directly for the library at Miu's request. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, may the killing game begin :)


	4. 01 - Deadly Life

"Today's the day, kiddos!" Monokuma playfully announced, very rudely awakening the students.

"Nnnn, he turned the volume up on purpose..." Kaede buried her head into her pillow, desperate to escape this waking nightmare if just for a few moments.

"Six hours is all you got 'til time's up!" the mechanical bear continued. "Who's gonna be getting axed today? Will it be one of you, or all of you? Makes no difference to me! Puhuhuhuhu!"

Kaede rose out of bed with all the grace of a zombie. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at Miu's note that had been slipped under her door just last night. While Miu had insisted in no uncertain terms to be at the library first thing, Kaede wasn't going anywhere until she'd at least had a shower. So she did just that, and left her room with all haste.

Okay Akamatsu, the pianist thought, go straight to the library. Don't grab breakfast. Don't talk to anyone. Don't make eye contact with anyone. Don't so much as breathe in their general direction.

"If Miu really has a plan, I have to hear her out," Kaede whispered to herself.

That being said, Kaede didn't even much care for what all the secrecy was in aid of. Had she not done something similar just the other day? The difference here was that Miu seemed interested in employing a confidant for whatever she had planned. Or perhaps Kaede, too, was now being used by the inventor. It would be a pretty bold way to assert her dominance over the pianist.

On her way inside the academy, Kaede looked to the left to see a group of students heading for the canteen. Among them were Shuichi, Kaito and Maki. Kaede smiled as she turned to go in the opposite direction, keeping her footsteps brisk and quiet. The trio seemed to have become fast friends, which gave Kaede cause for comfort.

The girl continued down the corridor heading towards the library. But unfortunately, she heard a sudden voice call out to her from behind.

"Kaede, hey!" it was Rantaro. "Canteen's  _this_ way. Are you not hungry?"

Despite the note's pleadings, Kaede didn't have the heart to flat out ignore her classmate. "O-oh, I'll be right there! I just gotta check something first, okay?"

"Okay, no worries!" the green haired enigma yelled back. "Want me to go with you? Whatever it is it could be dangerous!"

"No, that's okay!" she responded, not even turning around to face him. "I'll fill you in when I get back. I'll just be a couple minutes, alright?"

"Sure, no problem."

Kaede picked up the pace to minimise the risk of anyone else spotting her. What Rantaro said stuck in her mind, though. She hadn't accounted that she could potentially be walking into a trap. Not to mention she would be the perfect candidate for a murder target. While she had somewhat smoothed things over with Miu, and Kaede was keen to see the good in her, it certainly wasn't outside the realm of possibility that the inventor was now plotting to kill her.

She shook her head and found her way, finally, to the library. But as she was about to open the door and enter...

"Kaede!!" Kokichi burst out of the shadows, seemingly from thin air.

"Gyah!!!" Kaede was understandably startled, jumping back a good metre or two. "Kokichi! Where did you come from?!"

"Who, me? I just happened to be passing by!"

"R-really, now?" a disbelieving Kaede thrust her hands on her hips.

"Yyyeeeeaaah that was a pretty obvious lie, huh? I've been tailing you since you left the dorms!"

"I should've known..." the pianist sighed.

"Just somethin' about the way you looked, skulking away like some kind of wannabe ninja. I just had to give chase, y'know?"

"Oof, was I that obvious?"

"Nah, you were actually pretty straight-faced. I just have a keener sense than most!"

"Another one of your lies?"

"Huh? Whatever are you implying by that?"

"Forget it. Can you head to the canteen, already? I'll be there shor--"

"Hey, what's that note you're carrying?!"

"H-huh? Wh-what note?! H-hey!!"

Before she could even react, the sly supreme leader had swiped the note, somehow, from Kaede's clenched fist. The boy read the note aloud - a little too loud for Kaede's liking - and his eyes grew wider with each passing word.

"Oooh, sounds fun!" Kokichi giddily announced. "Are ya gonna let me tag along, partner?"

"Wh--since when were we partners?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe since you cucked Detective Boy. You're sorta flying solo right now, right?"

Kaede let his vulgarity slide. "I'm just here to meet Miu. You don't need to come with."

"Oh, is that so?" Kokichi's smile began to warp into a fiendish grin. "So what am I to tell everyone else in the canteen? That Kaede and the whore inventor are plotting behind our backs? Oh, whatever shall they think of you?!"

"F-fine..." Kaede immediately resigned. "You can tag along."

It was bad enough that Kokichi had tailed her here. But she didn't need the rest of the group to be even more suspicious of her than they already were. She reluctantly allowed Kokichi to accompany her to meet Miu in the library. With that, they both entered.

* * *

"Hey, Miu? Are you here?" Kaede called out for the inventor. She wasn't anywhere in plain sight. "Huh. Do you think she could be running late?"

"I dunno," Kokichi responded in a disinterested manner, "maybe she got bored and went into the A/V room."

"Yeah, I suppose she could have..."

Acknowledging his suggestion, Kaede and Kokichi did a quick scan of the A/V room. But unfortunately, Miu wasn't there, either.

"Weird," Kokichi said, "I fully expected her to be in here whacking it off to some European smut movie."

"Can you not?!" Kaede snapped. "I'm on edge as it is. I don't need your lame sense of humour right now."

"Oof! My heart! Who knew you had the barbs to back up your deviousness..."

Kaede didn't even grant him the satisfaction of a response. Instead they both made their way back into the library, where Miu still hadn't appeared.

"Wait a sec," Kokichi ran ahead, "what's that on the bookshelf?"

Kaede noticed he was talking about the camera that had been put in place originally to spy on the mastermind. She explained that to Kokichi, adding that no one must have bothered to remove them since then.

"Hm, I do recall you talking about it during our little chess match," Kokichi nodded, "but I had no idea just how much you thought this through!"

"Well, yeah," Kaede stared toward the ground, slightly ashamed of those recent memories, "but anyway, that's not important. Miu asked me to meet by the secret--"

A stark shiver ran up Kaede's spine. In the note, Miu had asked Kaede to meet her by the secret door, which was just off to the side of where the camera was placed. The puzzle pieces that had formed in her mind were now rapidly piecing themselves together. The camera was still in place, Miu was nowhere to be found. It had to be a trap!

"So why didn't they bother removing this camera in particular?" Kokichi playfully mused, walking towards the camera with reckless abandon.

"Kokichi, wait!!!" Kaede screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Huh, why?"

But it was far too late to save him. Kokichi turned his body to face Kaede, walking backwards towards the camera. Almost in slow motion, the camera's flash went off, albeit this time it was accompany by a loud bang. The bookshelves, the floor, even the ceiling, had been coated in blood. Kokichi's blood. It had sprayed forward, too, covering Kaede from head to toe instantly. The pianist stared jaw agape at Kokichi, who was struggling to maintain his balance.

"K-k-k-Kae...de..."

Kokichi collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud. Not even thinking, Kaede rushed to his side.

"Kokichi! Kokichi!!" the girl screamed.

"K-Kaede..."

"Y-yeah? What is it, Kokichi?" her tears fell down onto his blood soaked clothing.

"Cold...I'm cold..."

"Kokichi...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry this happened..."

"H-hehe...it's okay..." the boy coughed, "h-hey...I've been meaning...to tell you..."

"What? What is it?"

"You...you really...suck at chess..."

And then, he passed. The supreme leader fell limp in Kaede's arms. Kokichi Ouma was dead. Murdered.

Kaede didn't even have time to mourn him before the rest of the students started pouring into the library. Chief among them was Miu Iruma.

"Kaede!!" the inventor shouted, marching toward the pianist.

"What on earth..." Kaito mumbled.

"Th-that's Kokichi, isn't it?" Tsumugi added, looking faint.

Kaede lay Kokichi gently onto the ground. Being stared down by the fourteen other students, it dawned on her just how bad this looked. Kaede was caked in Kokichi's blood, and as far as she or the rest of them knew, there were no other witnesses to his death.

"Kaede, what happened?!" Shuichi ran to her side. "D-don't tell me you..."

"C'mon, fuckface," Miu interjected, "you  _really_ think it's that simple?! Uh, Kaede, it's really not that simple, is it? C-cos if it is..."

The group certainly had their fair share of questions for the pianist, but they would have to wait, as Monokuma's untimely visage appeared on the nearby monitor.

"A body has been discovered!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we have our first victim. Did you think it was going to be Kokichi? I was hesitant on making him the first victim given his popularity, but he does work better as Shuichi's foil. Kaede deserves her own - as to who that's going to be, who can say?
> 
> This was a shorter chapter, mainly to set up the investigation and the class trial that will follow. I hope you'll bear with me (no pun intended) as I finalise the details for both! And as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. 01 - Investigation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! First off, I just wanted to say thank you for the support so far. Also, I hope no one was too mad that I killed off a fan favourite so early. I don't see many of these rewrites do that so I think it was worth a go.
> 
> Secondly, I'm treating the investigations (this first one at least) as something of an experiment/writing exercise for myself. Kaede will obtain several truth bullets throughout this chapter. This way you, the reader, can have a chance to piece together the case and make your own predictions ahead of the trial. Not that I'm saying I'll be able to come up with the smartest investigation setups, but I hope it will be enough to have you guessing just like the actual games do (unless you're V3-2. Like, seriously, there's a truth bullet that almost flat out tells you exactly who the killer is in that trial smh).
> 
> Anyways, onto the chapter!

Kokichi Ouma lay dead on the floor of the library. Both he and Kaede were covered in his blood. To most of the others in the group, this looked to be an open and shut case. However, before Kaede had the chance to plead her case, Monokuma made an unwelcome public appearance.

"Finally!! One of you sick bastards finally got the cojones to actually snuff someone out, huh?" the bear's impatience was clearer than ever in his words. "And it was the poor little rat boy to boot? Hoo, boy!"

"Monokuma, please refrain from speaking so ill of the dead," Angie said pointedly, "especially so soon after his passing."

"Yeah, Angie's right!" Tenko added. "Maybe read the room before opening your disgusting trap!"

"Oh, I'm readin' the room, alright!" Monokuma said giddily. "According to my expert analysis...it's a god damn mess! Don'tcha know I'm the one who has to clean all this up?! Besides, it seems as if some of you need a little reminder as to who's in charge around here."

"No. We really don't," Ryoma replied sombrely, "but I'm sure you're gonna let us know, regardless."

"You got it, sport!"

Monokuma launched into exposition reminding the students of the trial proceedings, explaining they had a set amount of time to investigate before the trial begins proper.

"And believe me when I say I'm not giving you much time for this one!" the bear continued. "My patience is thinner than my fur right now. Do you know how much fur I've shed waiting on you losers?! No more, I say! Get to work!"

With that, Monokuma left the students to their own devices, his attempts at humour falling completely flat on the crestfallen group. Surprisingly, Shuichi was the first to speak up and break the awkwardness.

"Guys, I know a lot of you are arriving at the same conclusion right about now," he said, taking to Kaede's side, "but I just wanna say that I believe a person is innocent until proven guilty."

"Yeah! Shuichi's right!" Kaito heartily agreed. "This sure does look bad for Kaede, but wouldn't we be doing her a massive disservice if she turned out to be innocent?"

"Shuichi...Kaito, I..." Kaede, taken aback by their support, couldn't help but begin tearing up a bit.

"I'm not sure however else you could slice it," Korekiyo shook his head, "but, Monokuma has offered us time to investigate. We would be fools to relinquish such an opportunity."

"Agreed, though if it isn't Kaede, it's still gonna be one of us," Ryoma tilted his hat downward, "sucks to say, but it's the truth."

"Then let's quit yappin' and get to work!" Miu suddenly bellowed. "I hate to admit it but I'm as clueless as the rest of you dipshits!"

"Gonta...don't believe Kaede would do such a thing. Gonta will support Kaede and friends!"

Kaede nodded and wiped her eyes.

"I...I know this looks bad," she began, "but I encourage you all to carry out your investigations first before we accuse anyone of murder. I know that's gonna sound rich coming from me, given the circumstances, but I believe we can find the true culprit if we all work together!"

* * *

**INVESTIGATION START**

After her address, Kaede's first port of call was Miu, understandably. Kaede had more than a few bones to pick with the tardy inventor.

"Miu, what happened to you?" Kaede asked.

"Huh? How the fuck should I know?! I literally got here with everyone else, like five minutes ago!"

Kaede reached into her backpack and pulled out the note signed by Miu. She presented it to her, expecting this to clear things up...

"This was slipped under my dorm room door last night," Kaede said.

Miu took a few seconds to read the note, her expression twisting into one of bafflement. "Are you fucking kidding me with this?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Kaede, I didn't write this note. Look, this isn't even my handwriting!"

"Miu...I have no idea what your handwriting looks like..."

"Not  _this!_ That's for damn sure. I've got all kindsa notes everywhere in my lab. You sayin' you didn't even take a second to look at those?"

"Oh, I did. They were all pictures of...interesting inventions, to say the least."

"H-hey! Not so loud, okay?" the inventor broke out into a sweat. "Look, I dunno what's goin' on here but I did not write that note, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks, Miu."

Well that's certainly complicated things, Kaede thought. If Miu hadn't written the note, then someone else must have. The question is, who?

**TRUTH BULLET OBTAINED: MYSTERIOUS NOTE - _A note left under Kaede's dorm room door last night. It was signed by Miu, but Miu insists that she was not its author._**

"Uh, excuse me...Kaede?"

Kaede turned around to face Tenko, who wore a look of palpable concern.

"Hey, Tenko. How's your investigation going?" Kaede asked the martial artist.

"N-never mind me. You look awful!"

Apropos of nothing, Tenko lunged herself towards Kaede, and in one sleek motion pulled off the girl's sweater. How Tenko managed to do that while she still had her backpack on would escape Kaede for the rest of her days.

"H-hey! What was that for?!" yelled Kaede, startled by Tenko's sudden intimacy.

"Your sweater's covered in blood!" Tenko replied, holding it out and pointing at it with her other hand.

"Yeah, but so are my hands, face, legs, everything else! The sweater was the least of my worries. Plus, I have a closet full of them back in my room."

"Never mind that! You don't have time to run off and change!"

"She doesn't have time to run off, full stop," Maki cut in.

"M-Maki..."

"You weren't planning on going somewhere, were you?" the caregiver was staring daggers at Kaede.

"N-no, Tenko was just...you see the mess you've gotten me into now?" Kaede said to the rather forward aikido master.

"T-Tenko was just trying to help!" she replied hastily. "Th-the only person who should be covered in blood should be the victim, right?"

"That's...an awfully morbid way of putting it," Maki sighed, "but I suppose you're right. Unless you really did do it, Kaede."

"I didn't...but it's up to me to prove you wrong, isn't it?"

"I'm just kidding," Maki said with no change to her expression, "I don't think you did it. That would be far too convenient."

"Yeah! There's no way Kaede's the murderer!" Tenko announced proudly. "It has to have been one of the guys...urgh, each and every one of them makes my skin crawl!"

"Y'know, I'm sure they're not so bad once you get to know them, Tenko," Kaede said with a half-smile.

"In any case, have you checked the body yet?" Maki asked.

"No, but I was about to do just that. Despite being right in front of him when he died, I have no idea what it was that killed him."

"Well, it's a real mess over there. Good luck."

Maki walked away to continue her own investigation. Tenko also wished Kaede luck and walked off...still with Kaede's sweater in her possession.

Kaede turned around again and began walking towards Kokichi's corpse. Even from here, she could see his expression frozen with a contorted grin. It was so unsettling that Kaede swore she could feel an invisible force resisting her with each step. She didn't want to get any closer, but she knew she had to. For her own sake as well as everyone else's.

Shuichi was knelt down besides Kokichi. He smiled wryly at Kaede as she approached.

"Hey," the detective said softly, "I'm sorry you got caught up in all this."

"Ah, it's okay, really," Kaede replied, "I've talked to some of the others. Most are actually sceptical that I really did it."

"That's good to hear. Although, let's not forget that  _one_ of us murdered Kokichi."

"That's right. It sucks but it's our duty to find out who did it. For Kokichi's sake."

"Yeah. Hey, did you take a look at your student's handbook?"

"No. Why?"

Kaede reached into her backpack for her handbook. She immediately noticed that a new file had been downloaded onto it - Kokichi's autopsy report. She shuddered as she opened and read it.

**TRUTH BULLET OBTAINED: KOKICHI'S AUTOPSY REPORT - _Cause of death: Dozens of punctures and lacerations to the chest, abdomen and neck. The victim died approximately 30 seconds after injuries sustained._**

"It sounds like he was killed with a shotgun..." Kaede said quietly.

"It was definitely point blank," Shuichi nodded, "you can tell by the blood spray. It's everywhere..."

Shuichi was right, obviously. Kokichi's previously white jacket was stained almost top to bottom in blood. Kaede bent down and placed her palm on Kokichi's chest. Even through his clothing he felt cold to the touch, like he'd been trapped in an avalanche for hours.

"Uhh, Kaede?" Shuichi said gingerly.

"What's up?" she responded, not taking her eyes off the corpse.

"You're...oddly not fazed by, um, interacting with a dead body..."

"Well, I'm not exactly a squeamish person," Kaede affirmed, "not to mention I'm kinda already covered in his blood. A little more isn't gonna hurt."

"Um, I guess that's a valid point..."

"And I'm serious about finding the killer, okay? If I have to get my hands dirty, then so be it." Kaede took a second to glance up at the detective. "Believe it or not, Kokichi was nice to me. We even played chess together. Yeah, he could be kinda crass and irritating...but do you think he deserved  _this?"_

"You're right. Not at all."

"Hey, wait a sec," she said, "I can feel something under his clothing."

"Oh? Do you...want me to pull it up for you?" Shuichi offered.

"No, it's okay. I got this."

Nervously, Kaede lifted up Kokichi's jacket. Sure enough, his bare chest and abdomen were covered in deep cuts and bruises. Embedded in the wounds were sharp pieces of shrapnel, or what appeared to be as such. Some were larger and sharper than others.

**TRUTH BULLET OBTAINED: PIECES OF SHRAPNEL - _Countless pieces of lead shrapnel are buried into Kokichi's wounds. These are no doubt the cause of death, but as for the murder weapon..._**

"Shards of lead..." Shuichi knelt down to examine the wounds with Kaede. He winced slightly as Kaede dislodged one from Kokichi's chest.

"Ugh..." the pianist moaned in some mild disgust, "sorry about that, Shuichi. I think it would be best if we took one as a sample."

"Sure, maybe that way we can figure out where it came from."

After patting down Kokichi some more, Kaede concluded that there was nothing more to learn from his body, and rose back to her feet. By this point, most of the others had left the library. The only ones left were Kaede, Shuichi and - oddly enough - Rantaro.

"Wow, you two are really taking this seriously, huh?" the green haired boy waved at them.

"Of course!" Kaede shot back. "Don't you wanna bring the killer to justice?"

"Sure, but those are some pretty hefty words, don'tcha think?" Rantaro replied strangely.

"I'm not sure I follow," Shuichi added.

"Let me elaborate. Let's assume for a sec that the killer isn't one of us three. That leaves twelve others that we've somewhat got to know over the last few days."

"Um, yes," Kaede said, "there are fifteen of us left. What's your point?"

"It's simple, really," Rantaro shrugged, "are you okay with indicting one of your fellow students, knowing that if they're guilty, they'll be sent to their death?"

"Yeah, it's not easy pill to swallow," the pianist sighed, "but it's something we're just gonna have to come to terms with."

"Sure, that's easy to say now," replied Rantaro, "but how about after the second murder, or the third, and so on?"

"That's assuming there  _will_ be more murders, though," Shuichi interrupted.

"Oh, there will be. I'm sure of it. You really think Monokuma's the type to just let us go after one trial?"

Rantaro was correct. He was describing exactly the kind of situation Kaede had previously worked to avoid. But thanks to Miu's intervention, her chance had come and gone.

"We shouldn't be thinking about that," Kaede shook her head, "what matters is the here and now. If there're other murders down the line, then we'll just have to face them head on!"

"Huh...you're awfully optimistic."

"No really. I'm just trying to be realistic."

"No. You're naive."

"Huh?"

Rantaro's usually cheery demeanour had suddenly devolved into something much more sombre. Not threatening, per se, but a jarring change in personality nonetheless.

"Let's have this conversation again when it gets to that point, then, shall we?" Rantaro continued. "Right now, we're still mostly strangers. Next week, we might be friends. Beyond that, who's to say? Best friends? Mortal enemies? Soulmates? What are you gonna do when the person you care for the most is no longer around? Or worse still, is the one doing the killing?"

With that, Rantaro took his leave of the library. He left Kaede and Shuichi speechless, albeit with food for thought.

"What do you think he meant by all that?" Shuichi asked.

"Beats me," Kaede shrugged in frustration, "but we don't have the time to puzzle him out. Monokuma could announce the trial at any minute."

"Yeah, you're right, Kaede. Let's worry about it after the trial."

"Yup! So, there's something else in here I've been meaning to check out."

Kaede walked to the alcove section of the bookshelf, where Miu's camera had originally been placed. Looking at it now, it was almost unrecognisable as to its original purpose. Smoke was billowing out from inside it, and it had almost been blasted in two.

"This camera is the murder weapon, no doubt about it," Kaede asserted.

"It...certainly looks like it did something," Shuichi agreed, "but how can we be 100% sure?"

Kaede reached out a hand to touch the device, but immediately recoiled upon interacting with it. "Ouch, hot hot hot!!"

"H-hey, be careful" Shuichi reacted with concern.

The camera was scolding to the touch. Instead, Kaede had to analyse it using just her eyes.

"Yeah, I can't see how this  _couldn't_ be the murder weapon," Kaede said, nursing her fingers with her other hand, "it's hot to the touch, much like a gun barrel would be after firing."

"I can see your logic, but...it's a camera, not a firearm."

"Well in any case,  _some_ force broke it apart, that much is clear."

**TRUTH BULLET OBTAINED: BROKEN CAMERA - _Miu's camera was left in ruins after some force broke it apart from inside. It shows signs of being modified or tampered with._**

It was now clear to Kaede why the others might see this as an open and shut case. Between the camera, shrapnel and the mysterious note, none of it painted Miu in a particularly good light.

"I have a really bad feeling about this case," Kaede sighed, "but there's still one thing I wanna check out...I gotta figure out where these shards came from. Are you with me, Shuichi?"

"Sure thing, Kaede," the detective nodded affirmatively, "I...I've got your back. I know you didn't do it, so let's see this through to the end, okay?"

"Right, thanks, Shuichi!"

* * *

Kaede and Shuichi left the library behind, deciding to make the most of whatever time they had left before the class trial.

"So where do you think would be most relevant to investigate regarding this case?" Shuichi inquired.

"Hmm, the only place that I think could be relevant is Miu's lab," Kaede replied, "that's where the cameras were made, after all."

"Right, but, what if we're wrong about that?" Shuichi said concernedly. "Wouldn't it make more sense for the killer to hide any remaining evidence somewhere that wouldn't be so obvious?"

"I don't think you're wrong about that, but we have precious little time," Kaede asserted, beginning to walk faster as the pair exited the academy, "it sucks but I don't think we can afford to comb the academy from top to bottom here."

"Of course. Let's just hope we're on the right track."

The curious duo reentered Miu's lab. But strangely the inventor was nowhere to be found. Kiibo, however, was out in plain sight, and was quick to greet Kaede and Shuichi.

"My friends!" the robot perked up. "It brings me a great deal of relief to see you both again."

"Um, no offense, Kiibo, but can a robot even feel relief?"asked Shuichi of the automaton.

"Excuse me! I would prefer if you kept such robophobic remarks to yourself!"

"Shuichi, how can you be so insensitive?" Kaede asked the detective bluntly. "You know Kiibo's uncomfortable around that kind of questioning!"

"S-sorry!" Shuichi backpedaled. "I'm...still just not used to talking to a robot, is all."

"Don't worry, Shuichi, your curiosity is noted and your apology accepted!" Kiibo thrust his hands onto his hips.

"Not to mention given the circumstances, Kiibo's hardly the strangest thing around here, is he?" Kaede said.

"Right," Kiibo nodded, "and talking of strange, I'm sure you've both noticed the odd object out in this room."

"Odd...object out?" Shuichi rubbed his chin, looking around the place.

"Oh!" Kaede suddenly shouted out. "Do you mean this?"

The pianist pulled out a rather well hidden object beneath Miu's workbench.

"Oh! Yes, you have it!" Kiibo smiled. "I'm not sure as to what it is myself, so I waited for one of the others to show up and explain it to me. And, here we are!"

Kiibo stopped talking, seeming to be eagerly awaiting an explanation from the pair.

"It's...a sledgehammer," Kaede said after a pause.

"Yeah," Shuichi nodded, "but among all this high tech gadgetry, what could Miu possibly want with something so relatively old fashioned?"

**TRUTH BULLET OBTAINED: SLEDGEHAMMER - _A rusty sledgehammer found in Miu's Ultimate Lab. It may have come from the warehouse._**

"Um, I'm still waiting for your explanation, Kaede," Kiibo piped up again.

"Uh-uhh, why do I have to explain it?" Kaede shot back. "It's, y'know, a sledgehammer! They're normally used to smash apart heavy objec--ah!!"

"Wh-what is it, Kaede?" Shuichi asked of the pianist's sudden shock. "You look like you just had a light bulb moment."

"Mhmm," the blonde nodded eagerly, "some of the pieces are starting to fit together...but we still don't have the whole picture."

Before Kaede could explain, however, Monokuma's image appeared on the nearby monitor. The bear stretched his limbs and yawned obnoxiously, before diving into his usually trite tirade.

"Okayyy, that's enough time, I think! Get your butts down to the statue at the base of the academy. It's time to start the class trial!! Ooh, I've been waitin' for this part! It's been a  _loooong_ time since I did one of these, and I'm not just talking about how long you assholes took to murder somebody!"

The monitor fell silent again. Kaede, Shuichi and Kiibo all glanced at each other.

"Alright, I guess it's time," Kaede said quietly.

"Yeah," Shuichi nodded, "this is where we catch the culprit, or die trying."

"As a robot, I do not fear death," Kiibo said in untimely fashion, "but I do fear the death of my friends! I'll do everything I can to help in the trial."

"Thanks, Kiibo," Kaede smiled, "let's get out of here."

* * *

 

As the three left Miu's lab, they rejoined with the other students, and made their way to the base of the academy. There, a completely crude Monokuma fountain awaited them.

"I've not been looking forward to this..." Tsumugi said, visibly shaking from nerves.

"I just wanna go home already," Himiko moaned, "I don't even care about who killed Kokichi! Just get me out of here!"

"We'll be okay, Himiko!" Tenko attempted to pep up the petite mage. "Tenko will do her best to keep you safe!"

So this is it, huh?" Kaito motioned. "Kaede, how'd your investigation go?"

"We found some clues," the girl replied, "but it's far from a solid case. We'll just have to do our best!"

"Damn right!" the astronaut replied. "Listen, on a more serious note, I'm willin' to bet quite a few of these guys have it out for you. But not me, y'hear?! I've got your back!"

"Right. Thank you, Kaito."

"Hey, fuccboi, what about me?!" Miu suddenly yelped above the crowd. "Are ya seein' the stares I'm gettin' from some of these weirdos?! They totally think I did it!"

"We found your camera at the scene," Maki interjected, "anyway you slice it, it doesn't look good for you."

"Yeah? Keep it to yourself, you little broodmistress!"

"Call me that again and I'll end you."

"Aaahhh!! S-stay away from meeee! A-aren't you supposed to be good with kids?"

Suddenly, the statue sank into the ground. The waters around it parted, and up rose a bridge leading to a large elevator. This was it, Kaede thought to herself. As she stepped onto the elevator with the other students, she recapped the investigation in her head...

_Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, met a grisly end in the library. Whoever wanted him dead remains a mystery, although Miu and myself have found ourselves as the prime suspects. I attempted murder once before, but Miu almost certainly saved me from losing my own life. I'll do everything I can to prove her innocence, as well as my own._

_Kokichi didn't get along with many of the others here, but he'd seen fit to be generous to me. In a way, he was able to keep my spirits up when I needed it most. I will avenge his death and reveal his killer! I'll show everyone what I'm made of in this class trial!_

**TO BE CONTINUED!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that was...different! Writing an investigation sure was a different experience than usual. I wanted to get it all done in a reasonable amount of words, though I may have gone a bit overboard making sure a fair number of characters got some dialogue. Still, it was a fun change of pace from my regular writing style. And now, onto the class trial! Please be patient while I get this one finalised and written out.
> 
> Also, if you think you know whodunnit, leave your speculation in a comment! Once again, thank you for reading, and I hope you're looking forward to (or dreading) the class trial!


	6. 01 - Class Trial Pt. 1

The remaining fifteen Ultimates exited the elevator and found themselves in a large, dome-like room. In the centre were courtroom-esque podiums, arranged in a circular manner presumably so the students were always in eyesight of one another.

"Well don't just stand there," an impatient Monokuma had arrived ahead of them, sat on a suitably morbid looking throne, "hurry your asses up and grab a podium already!"

The group did as he said, each of them taking a place in the centre of the room. Kaede gazed upon Monokuma's throne and furrowed her brow.

"Um...are they..." she said.

"Yup!" the mechanical bear interrupted. "I got  _so_ impatient waiting for you morons that I decided to discipline my darling Monokubs.  _Permanently."_

Upon closer inspection, the throne had been fashioned from the remains of all five of the Monokubs.

"I know they're robots and all, but that's really kinda gross..." Miu said shakily.

"It sure is!" Monokuma shot back. "And there's only you guys to blame for it! If you hadn't taking so long in offing someone, perhaps my dear, sweet children would be alive and functioning right now. Their central processing units are on  _your_ hands!"

"Can we please just skip to the trial already?" Kaede asked impatiently.

"Agreed," Kirumi nodded, "the sooner we have this nasty business behind us, the better."

"Oh, _now_ you want to hurry things up?" Monokuma shouted back. "I have  _never_ in all my years had to deal with such a group of ungrateful little bra--"

"The trial, Monokuma, if you would be so kind," Korekiyo interjected with pinpoint timing.

The bear growled under his breath. "Very well! I'll let it slide for now and begin a basic explanation of the class trial! Ahem! As the surviving students, it's your job to debate and reach a consensus on  _whodunnit!_ After debate proceedings have wrapped up, you'll each have the opportunity to vote for who you think the blackened is! If the majority votes in favour of the correct answer, I'll punish the blackened in  _deliciously theatrical_ fashion, while the rest of you will continue your lives at the academy. But if you pick the wrong one...I'll execute everyone  _besides_ the blackened, who'll be allowed to leave the academy with their new, guilt-ridden life!"

"Sounds simple enough," Ryoma dragged on his cigarette.

"Hey! There's no smoking in the courtroom!" Monokuma leapt from his throne, swiped the cigarette out of Ryoma's mouth, and backflipped back onto the throne in one fluid motion. The normally taciturn Tennis Pro looked more shocked than the rest of the group had ever seen him.

"In any case, we now know what it is we'll be doing," Shuichi said, "so let's begin, shall we?"

"Hold up," Kaito said suddenly, "what's the deal with the portrait?"

The astronaut was referring to an ornate portrait of the victim, Kokichi Ouma, standing behind one of the podiums. It featured a greyscale photograph of his upper body, defaced by a large X hastily painted over it. Or what the group hoped was paint, at the very least.

"Taken an interest in my hobbies, have we? Well, I'm glad you asked!" Monokuma proudly bellowed. "While I'm waiting for you dullards to wrap up your investigation (or until I get bored) I like to...how shall I put this... _immortalise_ our dearly departed in those portraits. It would be just no good if you all forgot about your friends, wouldn't it?"

"As if you give a damn about respecting the dead," Maki growled.

"I have to agree," Gonta added, "Monokuma...doesn't seem the type to care about friends."

"Hey, buddy, I'm a headmaster first and a friend second, so watch your damn mouth!" Monokuma shouted back.

"In any case, Kaede has the right of it," Kirumi said, "I think it would be preferable if we began the trial now."

"Alrighty then! Have fun condemning one of your fellow students to death, kiddos!"

**ALL RISE, TRIAL START**

Kaede: If everyone's okay with it, I'd like to begin with a brief recap of the crime scene. Given the circumstances of how the body was found, I'm sure a lot of you consider myself to be the culprit.

Angie: I may or may not be one of those people. But I do agree that a recap would be most enlightening.

Himiko: I...kept my head down for most of the investigation. I'm not used to seeing dead bodies...so, I think a recap would definitely help.

Kaede: Alright. Shuichi? Care to do the honours?

Shuichi: M-me?! You want me to do the recap?

Kaede: Yup! You're my partner, after all! It wouldn't be fair of me to hog all the spotlight, now, would it?

Shuichi: P-partner...v-very well, here goes...

* * *

**CRIME SCENE RECAP**

Shuichi:  _The murder took place in the library, as you all know. Kokichi's body was found toward the back of the room, in between the entrance to the A/V room and the alcove where the murder weapon was placed. Kaede was already at the scene when everyone else arrived - stood right over the body, no less. N-not that I think you're the culprit, Kaede. Just that you've...probably got some work to do in order to clear your name. Anyway, we managed to find a number of clues that will hopefully help us make sense of this case, and pinpoint the culprit._

* * *

Korekiyo: It appears to be a rather simple case, doesn't it? I believe we can skip straight to the vote.

Ryoma: Yup. Hate to say it but I'm with the masked creep on this one.

Kaede: You guys...really think I did it, don't you?

Kaito: Don't buy into their bullshit, Kaede! You're innocent and I know it! And really, that's all that matters!

Korekiyo: Really? I'd love to see your proof on what exactly makes our precious pianist innocent.

Kaede: And  _I'd_ love to see your proof that I'm the killer.

Ryoma: Proof? You were stood right in front of him the moment he died! Not to mention you're  _still_ covered in his blood!

Tenko: Tch, you men are all the same! Not giving a girl the chance to prove herself before condemning her outright? Despicable!!

Kaito: H-hey! Don't rope me in with those guys! I think Kaede's innocent!

Tsumugi: Then...how does that make you any better than Korekiyo and Ryoma? No offense, Kaito, but blindly believing in her innocence could be just as bad as indicting her, right?

Rantaro: She's right. Remember, guys, this is a trial. Like it or not, we're all gonna have to prove ourselves innocent beyond a reasonable doubt. Isn't that right, Kaede?

Kaede: Yeah. It sucks but that's the reality of the situation. If I have to present evidence that I'm not the culprit, I'll do it.

Maki: So how exactly do you plan on going about that?

Kaede: I obviously can't clear my name right off the bat. You're all gonna need some convincing. By that metric I'd like to steer the conversation onto the murder weapon, if that's okay.

Kirumi: Not a bad idea. The murder weapon was rather unconventional, was it not? Understanding how it worked will surely be a key piece of this puzzle.

Kiibo: I am not aware of any instance in recorded history where someone used a camera to kill someone. So I agree that this would be most helpful!

* * *

**NON-STOP DEBATE: THE MURDER WEAPON**

Gonta: So...the murder weapon was a camera?

Angie: Strange. Just about any blunt or sharp object would have done the trick...

Angie: So why resort to something so wholly unconventional?

Kirumi: There must have been some trick to it...

Shuichi: Yep, the camera was almost broken in two.

Kaito: Isn't it obvious, then?! The culprit musta just **beat Kokichi over the head with it!**

**TRUTH BULLET: KOKICHI'S AUTOPSY REPORT**

_No, that's wrong!!_

**BREAK**

* * *

Kaede: Kaito...I'm guessing you didn't read the autopsy report?

Kaito: The, uh, the what now?

Korekiyo: Hopeless. Truly and utterly hopeless.

Kaito: H-hey! What did I do this time?!

Kaede: Actually, it's what you didn't do. I'd like to remind everyone that a little attentiveness can go a long way. Take a look again at Kokichi's autopsy report.

**KOKICHI'S AUTOPSY REPORT - _Cause of death: Dozens of punctures and lacerations to the chest, abdomen and neck. The victim died approximately 30 seconds after injuries sustained._**

Kaede: As you can clearly see, Kokichi wasn't killed by a simple head injury.

Himiko: Y-yeah...it sounds far worse than that...

Ryoma: Come on, it's obvious to everyone who saw the body _how_ he died...so, how does this prove you're innocent, exactly?

Kaede: That's not my proof. I just had to clarify that what Kaito said was wrong.

Miu: Uh, yeah, but we all know Kaito's a fuckin' dunce!

Kaede: Back off! Kaito's doing his best!

Miu: Yaahh! Wh-who pissed in your cereal all of a sudden?!

Kaito: Uhh, so that was a  _slight_ error on my part...

Kaede: Don't worry about it. At least it gave us a chance to review the cause of death.

Tsumugi: And I must say, I'm curious as to what exactly caused these lacerations in the first place.

* * *

**NON-STOP DEBATE: LACERATIONS?**

Shuichi: Kokichi's body was covered in deep cuts and gashes.

Himiko: But how can that be? The murder weapon was just a camera!

Rantaro: It is hard to imagine how something like that could cause such an injury.

Angie: Perhaps the culprit hid a knife in there?

Kiibo: A knife? In a camera? Is that really what happened?

Kirumi: Hmm, maybe not a knife, but Angie might be on the right track.

Kirumi: At the very least, the camera must have been  **modified in some way.**

**TRUTH BULLET: BROKEN CAMERA**

_I agree with that!_

**CONSENT!**

* * *

Kaede: Shuichi and I got a closer look at the camera. I'm sure you all noticed the smoke pouring out of where the lens used to be. Upon closer inspection, we did find signs of the camera having been tampered with!

Shuichi: The part of the camera where the lens used to be had been changed into some kind of firing mechanism. Essentially turning the device into a makeshift firearm.

Kaede: That's right. In layman's terms, imagine that the camera had been transformed into a shotgun...

**PRESENT EVIDENCE: PIECES OF SHRAPNEL**

Kaede: ...and once you consider this piece of evidence, the cause of Kokichi's death becomes clear.

Rantaro: Damn, you two are a bona fide pair of sleuths, am I right?

Ryoma: So lemme get this straight. The camera was changed in order to store the shrapnel, and was then fired when the victim came into range?

Kaede: That's the gist of it, yes.

Korekiyo: But that only clears up  _how_ exactly Kokichi was murdered. It does not clear your name, Kaede.

Kaede: Care to elaborate?

Korekiyo: But of course! Allow me...

* * *

**NON-STOP DEBATE: KAEDE IS STILL THE CULPRIT!**

Korekiyo: Showing us how Kokichi died doesn't absolve you of guilt, dear girl.

Korekiyo: If anything, it only reinforces my theory in seeing you as the culprit.

Miu: Idiot! Kaede's already explained to you how he died, what more could you possibly need?

Maki: I still don't see how that makes her innocent.

Korekiyo: It's simple, really. Kaede placed the camera onto the shelf...

Korekiyo: ...after **she herself fired it at the victim!**

**TRUTH BULLET: BROKEN CAMERA**

_No, that's wrong!!_

**BREAK**

* * *

Kaede: Korekiyo...I'm honestly disappointed in you.

Korekiyo: Whatever do you mean?

Kaede: I just thought you were smarter than that, that's all.

Korekiyo: E-explain yourself, immediately!

Kaede: Of course. Look again at the state of the camera. As we've discussed, it's a complete wreck!

Korekiyo: And what, pray tell, does that prove?

Kaede: The force of the blast ripped the camera apart. If I had been the one to fire it, I'm pretty sure that  _I_ wouldn't be in one piece, either!

Maki: Hmm, she does have a point there. Kaede, you mentioned that the camera acted somewhat like a shotgun, right?

Kaede: Yup.

Maki: I think it's quite a realistic description, really. Indeed, a shotgun is a purpose-built weapon, but the kickback from firing one is so strong that it can easily break the wielder's arms, especially if they're untrained.

Gonta: And...camera is even smaller than a gun!

Kiibo: That's a great point, Gonta! A shotgun may be built exactly for this kind of thing, but a camera is so small and fragile, the wielder would have done significant damage to themselves!

Korekiyo: ...

Maki: And I have to ask, does Kaede look like someone who's well-versed in the use of firearms?

Korekiyo: Y-you may have a point...

Kaede: And as you can see, I'm no worse for wear. Physically, at least...

Tsumugi: But if Kaede didn't fire the camera, who did?

Kirumi: It would have to be someone who's visibly physically wounded, even with their clothes on.

Kaito: Or someone who's good with guns.

Angie: Hmm, but I wonder, is there anyone here who matches either of those descriptions?

* * *

**QUESTION: Who is the most likely candidate in the group to have fired the camera's mechanism?**

**ANSWER: No one**

* * *

Kaede: Guys, I think we're on the wrong track here. I posit that the person who fired the camera...wasn't any of us.

Ryoma: So, what, are you suggesting the camera fired all on its own?

Kaede: Yup. That's exactly what I'm suggesting.

Korekiyo: Absurd! Suddenly this device has a life of its own?!

Kaede: Not quite...

Himiko: Wh-what about Gonta? He's big and strong! Wouldn't he be able to fire it?!

Gonta: H-Himiko! Gonta wouldn't hurt a fly! Let alone a person!

Kaede: No, Gonta is not the culprit.

Kaito: Hmm, he does kinda fit the bill, though, right? Dont'cha think his muscles would be able to absorb the feedback from the blast?

Maki: That's...not how it works...

Kaede: There's one person in this room who has more knowledge about the camera than the rest of us combined. And I know this because that person created it in the first place!

* * *

**QUESTION: Who is the original creator of the camera?**

**ANSWER: Miu Iruma**

* * *

Kaede: Miu, I'm sorry to have to drag you into this, but you are the one who invented the cameras.

Miu: Don't even think about throwin' me under the bus, you dumb whore!

Kaede: Shut up and let me explain!

Miu: H-heyy! Y-you don't get to talk to me like that!!

Kaede: Miu, I'm not saying you're the culprit. However, in order to understand  _why_ the camera was used, I think we have to talk about their original intention.

Kiibo: Original...intention?

Ryoma: You said "cameras," plural. Do you mean there's more than one?

Kaede: There were. And...I think it's about time I admitted something to you all.

Kaito: Kaede? What's this about all of a sudden?

Kaede: A couple days ago, Shuichi and I paid a visit to Miu in her lab. We asked her to make something that would allow us to keep tabs on the library, at all times.

Tenko: Okaayy, but why the library specifically? Is there something there we don't know about? Oh, I got it! A secret cabal of men waitin' to spy on us when we take a shower! Right?!

Kaede: N-no. Not even close, Tenko.

Shuichi: Kaede is referring to a secret door we found behind one of the bookshelves in the library. But there wasn't much we could do with it. The door was locked up tight...

Kaede: Leading us to believe that it must be something only the mastermind has access to. Thus, we had Miu create three cameras to cover every angle of the library.

Korekiyo: Hmm, and in doing so, you figured you'd be able to identify the mastermind of this killing game?

Kaede: Yep. I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you before. Only I, Miu and Shuichi knew about them.

Himiko: So, if Miu created the cameras in the first place, she'd know them in and out, right?

Miu: What're you gettin' at, ya little runt?!

Himiko: Nothing. But you  _did_ make the cameras...

Kirumi: Himiko has a point. This does warrant further investigating. If you had something to do with the cameras, then I'm afraid you also have something to do with this case.

Kaede: Miu, it's okay. You can come clean now.

Miu: Wh-what?! Are you fuckin' kidding me, Kaede?!

Kaede: Miu...there's only one person among us who built those cameras. And  _only_ that person would have the knowledge to rework them into a weapon. It has to be you!

Miu: I--I...

Kaede: But...hear me out for a sec. I don't think you're the culprit.

Miu: ...

Kaede: But I do think you're complicit!

Miu: Aww, come ooooon!!

Kaede: Just admit it! I don't think you're the killer, but you  _did_ alter the camera!

Miu: Okay, okay, fine! I did. I did modify the camera. But you're sure as shit I didn't murder Kokichi!

* * *

 

**NON-STOP DEBATE: MIU'S TESTIMONY**

Rantaro: Well that was quite the exchange. You really expect us to believe you didn't murder him?

Maki: He's got a point. All the card's are kinda stacked against you right about now.

Miu: I'm tellin' ya, I didn't kill Kokichi!

Angie: But you  _did_ modify the camera, correct?

Kiibo: Not to mention...she did create them in the first place.

Kiibo: How could it be anyone else?

Miu: K-Kiibo? You too?!

Shuichi: I still don't see how that proves anything...

Miu: Look, Kokichi was an annoying little rat, but I had no reason to kill him!

Miu: There's **no evidence** that would even suggest I'd try!

**TRUTH BULLET: MYSTERIOUS NOTE**

_No, that's wrong!!_

**BREAK**

* * *

 

Kaede: Miu, do you remember this note? I showed it to you at the start of the investigation.

**_MEET ME IN THE LIBRARY TOMORROW, FIRST THING. BY THE SECRET DOOR. DON'T TALK TO ANYONE. DON'T EVEN GO FOR BREAKFAST. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST. I HAVE A PLAN._ **

**_MIU_ **

Miu: Duh-doi! I already told you I had nothing to do with that note!

Korekiyo: Note? What's this now? Why didn't you mention this earlier?

Kaede: It's a pretty key piece of evidence, I know. But I had to wait for the right time to bring it up.

Kaito: Well now seems as good a time as ever! What the hell, Miu?

Miu: Don't you fuckin' start, galaxy brain!

Kaito: G-galaxy brain? Should I...should I take that as a compliment, or--

Himiko: She's saying you're stupid.

Maki: No arguments from me, there.

Kaito: C'mon, lay off!

Shuichi: I'm...sure Kaito's ego has taken enough of a bruising for now.

Tsumugi: Yes, it would be better if we got back to the case, instead of how...intellectually challenged our astronaut friend is.

Kaito: Tch...g-go to hell, all of you.

Kaede: A-anyway, I think it would be best if we take the note with a grain of salt.

Ryoma: How so? Seems pretty concrete to me.

Angie: Exactly! Not only did Miu create and modify the camera, we now have handwritten proof of her plan!

Kaede: Not so fast, you guys! I don't believe Miu is the culprit!

Kirumi: I'm with Kaede on this. Wouldn't it be a little strange for the killer to sign the note with her own name?

Tenko: You're right! I-if they wanted to stay inconspicuous, the culprit absolutely wouldn't indict themselves like that!

Korekiyo: Oh, please. I think you're giving Miu's forward planning a little too much credit.

Kaede: Why? Miu might be a little crass, but she isn't dumb!

Gonta: Gonta also believes Miu is not the killer! She can't be!

Rantaro: Not dumb? Look at the way she dresses. Clearly she's as dumb as a box of rocks!

Miu: H-hey, assholes! I'm right fuckin' here!

**HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!**

Monokuma: Oooh, I've been looking forward to this!

Kaede: What're you talking about?

Monokuma: I'm talking about this little split in the group you guys have goin' on.

Kiibo: Monokuma's right. We seem split down the middle on whether Miu is our culprit or not.

Monokuma: You got it, Kiiboy! Sometimes, there's a discussion that a regular old non-stop debate just can't solve! In these rare scenarios, I like to enact an extremely efficient method of conversation: the Scrum Debate!

Maki: Scrum...debate?

Monokuma: Yup! Here's how it works! The group will be divided in two, with each team representing one of two sides of the debate. From there, you'll battle it out until one side of the discussion comes out on top!

Gonta: Sounds...simple enough.

Kaito: Yeah, simple enough for even me to understand!

Himiko: Now there's a low bar if ever I've seen one.

Monokuma: Okay, kiddos! Without further ado, let's begin the Scrum Debate!!

**TO BE CONCLUDED IN CLASS TRIAL-PART 2!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the conclusion of the first trial, and the Scrum Debate!
> 
> This is my first time writing a DR class trial. How do you think I'm doing so far? It ended up being a bit longer than I anticipated, so I'm splitting it into two parts. This will probably be a running theme for the rest of the trials in the fic. I hope you guys don't mind waiting just a bit longer for the conclusion!
> 
> Further notes: I'm gonna try and write Gonta to be less dumb sounding than he is in the English dub. I liked him in V3 but I understand he's a much better character in the Japanese version, so I'll try and steer clear of making him sound like a total neanderthal.


	7. 01 - Class Trial Pt. 2

Monokuma pulled out an absurdly large key from his person, and inserted it into a large slot which caused the trial grounds to vibrate lightly. Most of the group looked uneasy as their podiums were raised into the air, arriving in a new room where the opposing sides were facing each other. This was a far cry from the cooperative nature of the trial ground's circular setup. This was something Kaede couldn't carry alone - she would have to rely on her friends, too. As the two sides were locked into place, the debate began.

* * *

**SCRUM DEBATE: MIU IS THE CULPRIT VS. MIU ISN'T THE CULPRIT**

Korekiyo: All the evidence points to Miu being our culprit, does it not?

_Tenko!_

Tenko: But we still don't have the proof of that! This could all be a setup!

\--

Angie: But her name is right there on the note!

_Miu!_

Miu: Bitch, you really think I'd sign my own life away like that?! I'm being fuckin' framed here!

\--

Ryoma: Which is exactly what the culprit  _would_ say.

_I got this!_

Kaede: I beg to differ! Miu isn't dumb enough to incriminate herself like that!

\--

Maki: Maybe not, but she  _did_ create the murder weapon.

_Kirumi!_

Kirumi: I would suggest that the making and the acting in this case are two separate things.

\--

Tsumugi: But we've surely covered every angle of discussion, and it's all lead back to Miu!

_Gonta!_

Gonta: B-but wait. Wasn't the murder weapon...just a, um, container...for what really killed Kokichi?

\--

**SUCCESS: MIU ISN'T THE CULPRIT!**

* * *

Kaede: That's it! Gonta, you're a genius!

Gonta: Wh-what did...I do?

Kaede: Gonta is absolutely right! Guys, when you think about the nature of the murder weapon, the camera or its altered mechanisms isn't the important part. We're missing the forest for the trees here!

Shuichi: Ah, of course! We've been so focused on the camera, we were too caught up in the objects that actually killed Kokichi!

Kaito: Uh, one of you care to explain?

Kaede: Sure, I got this. The true murder weapon in this case is...

* * *

**QUESTION: What are the objects that killed the victim?**

**ANSWER: The pieces of shrapnel.**

* * *

Kaede: The modified camera was just the catalyst for where the true cause of murder was contained. You'll recall that Kokichi's body was riddled with sharp blades of shrapnel, or at least what appeared to be as such.

Himiko: Those...little pieces of lead? But I thought we'd already established that they were fired from the camera...

Kirumi: That's right. We had. But none of us have considered what Kaede is insinuating right now. And it's a point I find to be worth pursuing.

Kiibo: So...what you're saying is...even though Miu created the camera, the camera in and of itself was not the murder weapon!

Kaede: That's right. Miu put the camera together, that much is true. But that doesn't mean that she was the one who loaded it with the shrapnel!

Miu: Ding ding ding! Right you are, Kaeidiot!

Kaede: I just got you off the hook and you're calling me an idiot?

Miu: Aahh!! D-d-d-d-don't s-stare at me like that!!

Ryoma: In any case, it does seem like we've cast reasonable doubt on Miu being the culprit.

Korekiyo: Indeed. It would seem I need to...reevaluate my tactics.

Himiko: Yup! And it's all thanks to Gonta!

Kaede: Yeah, nice work, Gonta!

Miu: Eyy, thanks for takin' the heat off me, buddy. Seems like you're smarter than you look!

Gonta: A-ah...G-Gonta is just trying his best...

Tenko: Way to go, Gonta! You're easily the least gross guy here!

Kaede: Moving on, I'd like to discuss the nature of the shrapnel from the camera, if that's okay with everyone else?

Maki: No arguments from me.

Shuichi: Yeah. That does seem like the most obvious thing to talk about right now.

Kaede: Then let's get to it!

* * *

**NON-STOP DEBATE: ORIGIN OF THE SHRAPNEL**

Shuichi: The shrapnel had to have come from somewhere, but there's nothing in the academy that matches its appearance.

Angie: As far as we know, at least. Maybe the culprit knew something we didn't!

Miu: Can confirm that I knew nothin' about this shrapnel. So don't even try it, ya hear?!

Tsumugi: But you're still not totally innocent, are you?

Kaito: What if the culprit smuggled it into the academy, to prepare for exactly this moment?!

Rantaro: Would be pretty hard to sneak something like that past Monokuma, though.

Maki: Isn't it more likely that the shrapnel was fashioned  **from another object entirely?**

**TRUTH BULLET: SLEDGEHAMMER**

_I agree with that!_

**CONSENT!**

* * *

Kaede: Maki's exactly right. We've been referring to these objects as "shrapnel," which typically refers to smaller pieces of a larger object.

Kirumi: Although shrapnel in particular usually comes from a bullet or explosion, correct?

Kaede: Yes. I thought the term would be a simple way to describe the murder weapon, as the were forcibly expended by the camera's blast. But it might actually be more accurate to refer to these shards as fragments - broken off from a different object entirely! Take a look at this sledgehammer. This would definitely be powerful enough to break apart whichever object the culprit saw fit.

Rantaro: Then that leads us to the obvious question of what this object  _was_ in the first place?

* * *

**QUESTION: What was broken apart by the sledgehammer to create the fragments of lead?**

**ANSWER: Shotput ball.**

* * *

Kaede: I only know this because it struck me as odd that the object was fashioned from such an outdated material. But I think there's only one possibility here. One of the shotput balls from the warehouse was smashed apart by that sledgehammer.

Miu: A-are you serious?!

Maki: What's with that look? Are you guys familiar with these shotput balls?

Kaede: It's not related to this case, but yes, I've had some experience with them. But I'll explain to you all after the trial, if that's alright.

Korekiyo: Hmm, how very suspicious. But, you've done a decent job guiding us through the trial thus far. I see no reason to derail you now.

Ryoma: Heh, I sure hope what you're referring to has nothing to do with this trial.

Kaede: I promise it isn't. But, what I find more curious is where I ended up finding the sledgehammer to begin with. Miu, it was in your lab.

Miu: Oh, come  _ooooon!!_

Kaede: Don't get it mixed up! I'm not incriminating you! Guys, I can see you all staring at Miu again, but please, hear me out!

Kiibo: If you feel like you can explain why the sledgehammer was in Miu's lab, then I will not impede you.

Kaito: Yeah, go ahead, Kaede! You got this!

Kaede: Okay. This whole case was a setup, from start to finish. I'm...actually impressed at the lengths the culprit went to craft their narrative. Between Miu and myself, they had two incredibly suspicious suspects to confuse the discussion. But thanks to you all...

Tenko: K-Kaede, you've gone pale!

 

Kaede: ...

Maki: Wait...does she know?

Angie: I think she does. But she looks like she doesn't want to say. Kaede! Whatever your doubts are, Atua understands! Pray, let His will channel inside you, so you can say what you need to say!

Kaede: I...

Miu: Hey, moron! Wake the fuck up, already! You're really gonna string us along like this and  _then_ chicken out?! Get a grip!

Kirumi: I hate to say it, but I agree with Miu. Kaede, you need to remember that this is a trial. We have to indict the guilty party, whether we like it or not.

Gonta: It's okay, Kaede. Gonta will support you to the end! You know who the culprit is, right?

Kaede: ...yup. I've known for a long time now.

Tsumugi: Then can't you let us know? Please, Kaede! We want this to end as much as you do!

Kaede: Y'know, Rantaro? You were right.

Rantaro: Hm? What do you mean?

Kaede: Earlier, what you said in the library, during the investigation...

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

"We shouldn't be thinking about that," Kaede shook her head, "what matters is the here and now. If there're other murders down the line, then we'll just have to face them head on!"

"Huh...you're awfully optimistic."

"Not really. I'm just trying to be realistic."

"No. You're naive."

"Huh?"

"Let's have this conversation again when it gets to that point, then, shall we?" Rantaro continued. "Right now, we're still mostly strangers. Next week, we might be friends. Beyond that, who's to say? Best friends? Mortal enemies? Soulmates? What are you gonna do when the person you care for the most is no longer around? Or worse still, is the one doing the killing?"

* * *

Kaede: I brushed it off at the time, because I  _genuinely_ believed that the ones I cared about the most - the ones I'd grown the most attached to - couldn't possibly find it in them to commit murder. But I was a fool.

Rantaro: ...

Kaede: I take  _no_ pleasure in revealing who the culprit is. Please believe that much. I wish all of this could've worked out differently. But their actions and mine have ultimately led us to this moment. I...I can't back down now.

* * *

**The one who killed Kokichi Ouma is...**

\--

\--

**SHUICHI SAIHARA**

\--

\--

* * *

Kaede: I'll be honest, it clicked with me pretty early on. In some ways I was trying to stall the trial, because I was desperate for there to be another possibility. But as we cleared our names and the possibilities narrowed, there could only be one conclusion - and it was the one I was dreading the most. Only one other person knew about the secret door. That same person knew how the cameras functioned, and was familiar enough with the layout of the library to set up the perfect crime. However, I believe it was this meticulous level of planning that has ultimately sealed their fate. The culprit in this case is...you, Shuichi Saihara!

Kaito: Ha! Ha, that's a good one, Kaede. But, uh, for real, who's the culprit?

Shuichi: I-I think there must be some mistake, Kaede. You know I wouldn't do anything like that.

Kaede: That's what I wanted to believe, Shuichi. But I've exhausted all the other possibilities. Given the knowledge and evidence we've put forward, it can only be you.

Kiibo: Shuichi! Do you care to explain yourself?

Kaede: No, Kiibo. He doesn't have to. I know why he did it. Shuichi had a motive from the start.

Korekiyo: Did he now? Oh, I simply _need_ to hear this.

Tenko: Take it down a notch, you creep! Can't you see how hard this is for Kaede?! She was practically best friends with Shuichi!

Shuichi: Yeah! A-and...we still are, right? Right, Kaede?

Himiko: Shuichi...you're looking a little scary right now...

Rantaro: So, if Shuichi is the killer, what prompted him to do it? What's his motive, Kaede?

Kaede: Well, to even begin to answer that, I have to tell you that Kokichi was  _not_ the intended victim in this case. It was...

* * *

**QUESTION: Who was the intended victim?**

**ANSWER: Kaede Akamatsu.**

* * *

Kaede: Kokichi was never meant to be at the library. If he'd done what I'd told him, he'd be alive right now. He would've been eating breakfast with everyone else. But Kokichi insisted on accompanying me. When he followed me to the back of the library at the note's behest, he's the one who examined the camera first, thus sealing his fate. Y'know, when you think about it, he's the only reason I'm still alive.

Ryoma: Too bad he didn't live to tell the tale, huh?

Miu: Wait, so what you're sayin' is...

Kaede: The killer didn't plan on anyone else being there at all. They didn't want to kill Kokichi. The one they were after was...me...

Shuichi: ...

Kaito: Shuichi...man, is this true?

Shuichi: ...

Kirumi: Shuichi, your silence is deafening.

Gonta: Shuichi...you...really tried to kill Kaede?

Shuichi: I...

Tsumugi: How could you double cross her like that?! Kaede trusted you!

Kaede: Guys...please...

Angie: Atua is all-forgiving but... _this_  might be a step too far...

Shuichi: I...I didn't...kill him!

Kaede: Shuichi...

Shuichi: Shut up...just shut up, Kaede. All of you just shut up!!

Everyone: ...

Shuichi: What the hell is this?! What is  _wrong_ with you guys all of a sudden?! Kaede presents some of the weakest evidence I've _ever_ seen, and you all just lap it up?! Like...really?!

Kaede: ...

Shuichi: Gah, I knew I should've conducted my own investigation. Maybe that way we could've avoided this charade.

Maki: This...charade?

Shuichi: C'mon, guys. You all see what's going on here, right? All Kaede is trying to do here is deflect from the fact that Miu is the culprit!

Miu: Hey, are you fuckin' deaf? We already cleared my name, idiot!

Shuichi: Did we? As far as I'm concerned, we've only established a reasonable doubt. That doesn't make you innocent.

Ryoma: That said, you  _did_ react pretty strongly when Kaede accused you of being the killer. What's all that about?

Shuichi: Wouldn't anyone act like me in this situation? I'm desperate here! I don't want to die, I don't want any of us to die! Are you all just going to nod your heads and let Kaede lull you into a false sense of security? Are you really gonna follow her lead and vote incorrectly?!

Kaede: But I'm not wrong, Shuichi.

Shuichi: !

Kaede: I'm not wrong and I can prove it. I can prove that you're Kokichi's killer.

Shuichi: Oh, for...for the last time, I didn't kill him!

Kaede: Monokuma, could you clarify something for me?

Monokuma: Hmm? That all depends on what it is you want me to clarify.

Kaede: I'd just like to run a little test. In my backpack I have a notepad and pen. Would I be allowed to take them out and run a couple of tests?

Monokuma: (sighs) Normally I wouldn't allow for anything you didn't find in the investigation, but I suppose we are pressed for time.

Kaede: Okay. Hey, Miu?

Miu: Huh? What's up?

Kaede: Let's settle this once and for all. Take my notepad and pen, and write down exactly what was written on the note that was delivered to me last night.

Miu: Oh, you mean the note I definitely didn't write?

Kaede: Sure, sure. Just copy it onto my notepad for me, will you?

Miu: ... ... ... ... Okay, here ya go.

Kaede: Just as I thought. You handwriting is  _dreadful!_

Miu: Wha--did you  _really_ pull off that little stunt to make fun of my handwriting?! I swear to god I will fuckin' end you myself!

Rantaro: Ohh, now that is smart...

Kaede: Guys, I want you all to take a look at the note, and compare it to Miu's handwriting. I think you'll all come to the conclusion that with handwriting  _this bad,_ Miu definitely wasn't the author of the note!

Kirumi: Oh my, yes, this seems pretty conclusive to me.

Tsumugi: The difference really is night and day!

Kaito: Hey, don't worry, Miu. Your handwriting's still better than mine!

Himiko: Again, pretty low bar.

Kaede: Now it's your turn, Shuichi. Care to copy what's on the note for me?

Shuichi: ...

Kaede: Shuichi...I...I didn't want this to happen, either, but...but you have to face the consequences of your actions!

Shuichi: You're one to talk...

Kaede: Huh?

Shuichi: Fine. I'll admit it. I did kill Kokichi. The culprit you're all looking for is me.

Kaede: Shuichi...

Shuichi: Shut up!  _You're_ the one who dragged me into this mess in the first place! If you hadn't used me like you did then maybe...maybe...(sobs)

Kaito: Shuichi...there's always a better way, man. You didn't need to do this.

Shuichi: Not in this case, there wasn't. Did you all forget about Monokuma's deadline?

Monokuma: Pupupu...I sure didn't!

Kaede: I...think it's time we brought this case to an end. I'm going to recap all the details now. Shuichi, will you let me know if I missed anything out?

Shuichi: Pfft. Sure.

* * *

_It all started last night, just before I went to sleep. The culprit slid a mysterious note under my room's door. It told me in no uncertain terms to meet them in the library, first thing this morning. However, the culprit elected to frame Miu by signing her name at the end of the note._

_At this point, it's likely the culprit had already set up their trap. They forced Miu to modify one of the cameras we'd been using to keep tabs on the library's secret door. Then, they took a sledgehammer from the warehouse and used it to shatter one of the lead shotputs into pieces. This created sharp fragments that were small enough to act as ammunition for the camera's new mechanism._

_With everything in place, all I had to do was follow the note's orders. I headed straight for the library in the morning. But I hadn't accounted for Kokichi, who'd been following me since I left the dorms. Not one to give up so easily, Kokichi insisted on joining me after he'd read the note for himself._

_When we entered the library, we both walked over to the location of the secret door. But Kokichi's curiosity got the better of him. The trigger inside the camera must have been attached to its sensor function. Meaning it detected movement in front of it, thus activating the killer's trap._

_Kokichi, of course, was not the intended victim in this case. If not for him, then it would be my murder you'd all be investigating, not his._

_And that concludes the case of the murder of Kokichi Ouma. I never imagined in a million years that I would be saying this, but the culprit in this case is Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective!_

* * *

**\--TO BE CONCLUDED--**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of Trial 1. How did I do? This is the first class trial I've ever written so I'm sure it's pretty flawed in places, but I hope it was fun to read overall. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Chapter 1, including Shuichi's explanation, the execution, and the aftermath.


	8. 01 - Conclusion

Kaede was putting on a brave face, but inside she was exhausted and deeply saddened. The one person who'd stood by her side all this time was now the same person who had wanted her dead. And she thought she only had herself to blame for that.

"I believe we're ready to cast our vote now, Monokuma," Korekiyo said calmly. The anthropologist had made it clear he was gunning for Kaede and Miu the entire trial. Though he had been proven wrong, Kaede had made a mental note to be wary around him from now on.

"Nah, come on guys," Kaito pleaded, "it's gotta be someone else! Shuichi wouldn't do this..."

"Yeah, he would, actually," Kaede sighed, "and honestly, he shouldn't be taking all the blame for this."

"Save your sob stories for after the vote, ya hear?!" Monokuma yelled. "Remember kiddos, if you don't vote, your life is forfeit!"

Large panels appeared in front of each of the students. Their screens lit up, presenting choices for everyone except Kokichi, whose option had naturally been greyed out. Kaede was visibly trembling as she raised her hand to select the culprit. It was a situation where she felt entirely hopeless. She  _had_ to vote for Shuichi. She knew this. Even if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. Shuichi's admittance ensured that the rest of the class would vote for him anyway. Kaede flinched as she pressed her shaking finger down on the panel. She selected Shuichi Saihara, as did everyone else in the class...including Shuichi himself.

"Aaallright! Now that the votes have been counted, let's see if you picked the correct choice...or the disastrously wrong one! Puhuhuhu!"

* * *

**VERDICT**

**SHUICHI SAIHARA**

**GUILTY**

* * *

The group stood in silence as they gathered in the centre of the trial grounds. They unconsciously formed a haphazard circle around Kaede and Shuichi. The would-be victim stared at the killer, while he looked down at his feet, dejected and frustrated but without a hint of shame. Shuichi could sense the expression on Kaede's face without even looking at her.

"Don't stare at me like that," he said, finally, "you don't really need to ask why, do you?"

"I don't," Kaede replied sheepishly, "I...I have nothing to say to you, Shuichi."

Tears began to form in the detective's eyes. He continued: "All I wanted...was to be liked. By someone, by  _anyone._ I wanted so desperately to fit in...even in a place like this..."

"Shuichi...you had people here for you, dude," Kaito said solemnly, "both Kaede and I would've been here for you, no matter what. You know that!"

"That's right!" Tsumugi chimed in. "I understand this is a very terrifying situation for  _all_ of us. But did you think killing someone would be the right thing to do?!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Shuichi snapped, throwing his hat to the ground. "Kaede is the one who betrayed  _me!_ _She_ stabbed  _me_ in the back! Not the other way around!"

Kaede remained silent. She knew there was a kernel of truth to the detective's words.

"I've spent my entire life living in the shadows of my peers," Shuichi continued, "I never had a true friend growing up. And besides my uncle, I didn't have much family to support me."

"I don't mean to offend by saying this, Shuichi, but what does that have to do with our situation?" Kiibo asked.

"When I was young," Shuichi added, "my uncle taught me something that's stuck with me all this time. He would say that the brightest of lights shines in the darkest of times. Seems kinda ridiculous to say it now, but Kaede, you were that light for me. You were the light that I needed the most...and you wouldn't even let me have that."

"Uh, Kaede?" Tenko said uneasily. "What's he talking about?"

"The reason...the reason Shuichi committed himself to murder is because of me," Kaede sobbed, "everything he's saying is absolutely correct. I used him, all because I wanted to get one over on the mastermind."

"W-wait, back up a sec," said Rantaro, "what do you mean by getting one over on the mastermind?"

"The shotput, the camera, even the location of the library. Shuichi's plan was all carried over from mine." Kaede admitted. "I was planning on killing the mastermind so we could all escape. But then Miu found me right as I was about to put my plan into action."

"So...with your plan in ruins, all Shuichi had to do was pick up the pieces," Ryoma muttered aloud, "tragic..."

"I don't need your pity," Shuichi shook his head, "Kaede was my target, remember? If it wasn't for Ouma, then..."

"Then what?" Kaede asked.

"Then the world would've been rid of one more backstabbing piece of trash."

Shuichi's words chilled Kaede to the bone. What had happened to the confident, optimistic detective who told her everything was going to be okay? Was that merely a ruse to get her to play along? It had to have been. After all, Kaede had assumed she'd buried the hatchet with Shuichi and begun anew after she had used him so unfairly. She stood there, doused in shame, as the rest of the group were unsure where to lay their eyes - the guilty detective bent on revenge, or the manipulative pianist who pushed him over the edge?

"Alllright, folks!" Monokuma's shrill voice echoed through the trial grounds, "that's enough of that! Quit feeling sorry for each other, the punishment's about to begin!"

"P-punishment?!" Kaede suddenly yelled in surprise. "W-wait, what do you mean by that?!"

"Girl, weren't you listening?" the bear sighed. "As I quite  _clearly_ stated before the trial even started, the correctly identified blackened must be punished! Ya do know what that means, right?"

Kaede's heart rate rapidly increased as hot tears began streaking down her face. "No!" she yelled. "D-don't you dare kill him! He doesn't deserve that!"

"Some of us would beg to differ..." Korekiyo remarked snidely.

"I don't give a damn what you think!" Kaede snapped at the anthropologist. "Yeah, he took someone's life, but this...this isn't right!"

"There's nothing we can do, Kaede," Kirumi tried to console the pianist, "I know how you must feel. It's not easy for us, either, but we just have to move on."

"Shuichi has sinned a great deal, Kaede," Angie said in an oddly deadpan tone, "now we must let him be judged in the afterlife."

"Gonta isn't sure if this phrase is correct here, but, this is like an eye for an eye, right?"

"That's right," Maki nodded, "I don't agree with it but there's not a whole lot we can do about it."

"Are you guys kidding me?!" Kaede shouted almost venomously. "I won't abandon Shuichi!" He's...he's my friend!"

Shuichi, too, began welling up inside. "It's...alright, Kaede."

"Huh?"

"It's alright. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said all those awful things just now. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry I tried to kill you..."

"Sh-Shuichi..."

"I was just so desperate to get out of here. I was angry and confused and scared...I know what I did was wrong, and I can't reverse it now. I have to accept that."

"Shuichi, please...I can't do this without you..."

"Sure you can! You have Miu and Kaito and Maki, and everyone else!"

"Kaede...just promise me one thing. Promise me you'll get out of here!"

"I-I..."

"I'm begging you, Kaede! You have to live!"

"Oh my god, you kids are  _boooooring!_ " Monokuma yelled obnoxiously. "I hope you're all ready, cos' it's Punishment Time!!"

* * *

The group distanced themselves from Shuichi as a spotlight appeared over him. Suddenly, a trapdoor opened up behind him. A metal, leash-like object attached to a chain sprung out from the trapdoor, clasping itself around Shuichi's ankle, and dragging him to the ground. Kaede dived forward in an attempt to grab the detective's hand, but she was unable to do so. Shuichi was dragged down through the hole in the ground, sealing itself shut moments later. After a few seconds passed, a huge stage erupted out from the ground at the far end of the room. The stage unfolded, not unlike a pop-up picture book, revealing what appeared to be an early twentieth century train, complete with engine and carriage. Monokuma gleefully took his place as the train conductor, happily shovelling coal into the engine's furnace. In the carriage, another trapdoor opened, spitting Shuichi out onto a comfy looking bed. Before the detective could move again, three large clasps wrapped themselves around him, locking him in place.

**PUNISHMENT: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS**

He was suddenly surrounded by life-sized wooden dolls, each resembling the fourteen surviving students. Shuichi gazed in horror as a grinning Angie appeared before him. Unable to move, he screamed as she plunged a dagger right into his chest. Then, Angie disappeared, only to be replaced by Tsumugi. Again, she stabbed the detective in the chest, and vanished. One by one, each member of the group took their turn to leave their mark upon Shuichi's chest. Each wound was more painful than the last, but not damaging enough to outright kill him.

With each knife planting itself into Shuichi's body, Monokuma continued to shovel coal into the front furnace with increasing speed. This made the carriage grow unbearably hot. The mixture of intense pain and the unbearable heat made each member of the class look even more horrific and nightmarish than the last in Shuichi's eyes. The agony went on and on until finally, it was Kaede's turn. Her doll was ablaze from the fires of Monokuma's furnace. She wore an extra wide grin, making sure Shuichi got a good look at her before landing the final dagger right through his heart.

Shuichi's corpse wore a twisted, scared, mind-rending expression. The wooden dolls, now all burning and falling apart, congregated around his body. Finally, they fell inwards on top of him, creating a makeshift bonfire that burned the entire set to the ground.

* * *

Kaede collapsed to her knees. Both her and the others could barely even process what they had just witnessed. Kokichi's death had been a horrific sight, but this was grisly on a whole different level.

"Aaaahahahahahahaa!!!" Monokuma's bellicose laugh filled every inch of the trial grounds. "Ya just love to see it, folks! Another _blazing_ punishment for the books! Be still, my soulless, mechanical heart!"

"Y-you're freakin' nuts! You know that?!" Kaito stammered in horror.

"Aww, I do so love compliments!" the robotic bear japed in response.

"It's not a compliment, you monster!" Tenko cried. "Even doing what he did...nobody deserves to die like that!!"

"All I heard was fire..." Himiko sobbed, "I couldn't bear to watch..."

"It's alright, Himiko," Tenko consoled the mage, "it wasn't worth seeing anyway..."

"Let us all offer our prayers to Shuichi," Angie clasped her hands together, "may his soul rest in peace, and may he be judged fairly into the next life."

"Would you cut your religious bullshit?!" Miu yelled. "He's dead!"

"G-Gonta wouldn't mind...offering a prayer for him. It's the least we can do..."

"Save it," Maki snapped, "your prayers don't mean anything to anyone, least of all Shuichi."

The elevator connecting the trial grounds to the academy reopened - its mechanical clanking turning the class's attention to it.

"I think it would be best for us to leave," Kirumi said quietly.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Kaito sighed.

"Ceya next time, folks!" Monokuma cackled. "And yeah, there's  _definitely_ gonna be a next time! Puhuhuhuhu!!"

The bear disappeared, leaving behind his Monokub throne, the wrecked execution set piece, and a group of morale-starved students. As the group began walking towards the elevator, Miu looked back to see Kaede still slumped in front of the destroyed train.

"Hey, Kaede!" Miu shouted. "The elevator's here. We gotta go."

The pianist remained unresponsive. Miu sighed. "You guys go on ahead, we'll get the next one."

As she stepped onto the elevator, Tenko called out to Kaede. "Hey, Kaede...don't beat yourself up, okay? We're here for you."

With that, the elevator shutters closed, and the students left the trial grounds. They left Miu and Kaede behind.

"Look, I know this is super shitty," Miu tried, "but mopin' around here ain't gonna bring him back. You know that, right?"

"I know," Kaede responded softly, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "Where even are we? What is this place? Why are we being forced to do any of this?!"

"If I had the answers to that, we'd probably be outta here already, don'tcha think?"

Kaede remained silent, so Miu sat down beside her. They both stared at the dying embers of the wreck in front of them.

"Look," Miu carried on, "all these questions you're askin', we're not gonna figure all that stuff out down here, right? Besides, that fuckin' bear'll probably be back any minute now to clean up the mess he's left."

As if on cue, the elevator whirred its way back down to the trial grounds, its shutters opening as if impatiently demanding the girls return to ground level. Miu stood back up and brushed the dust off her knees, lending a hand to the crestfallen pianist. Kaede reluctantly accepted, though without making any kind of eye contact with her.

"Fine, let's go," Kaede finally said, "down here or up there, it makes no difference. It's all hopeless, anyway."

With one swift movement, Miu sharply crossed her palm across Kaede's face. "Don't gimme that hopeless bullshit! What the hell happened to you?!"

"S-sorry..."

"What happened to the Kaede who was gonna get us out of here, no matter what?! Where's the passion that makes you a  _million_ times more interesting than all these other fuckin' goons we're stuck with?! Where did you leave  _that_ Kaede? Cos' she sure as shit ain't down here!"

Kaede wiped her eyes with her sleeve, still bloodstained from when Ouma was killed right in front of her. Without saying anything to rebut Miu, she walked straight past the inventor and back onto the elevator. Miu quickly followed.

"I'm sorry I hit ya," Miu said somewhat assertively as the elevator began ascending, "I dunno if it'll help much, but maybe you should blow off some steam in your lab. Play a bit of piano or whatever it is you do."

"Yeah..."

* * *

Kaede took Miu's advice and headed back inside the academy, splitting with Miu as they reached the dorms. The academy at this hour was cold, unlit and deeply unwelcoming. Even more so than usual. Still, that was the last thing on Kaede's mind as she entered her lab and sat down in front of the grand piano in the middle of the room. She didn't even have to think about which song she wanted to play in that moment. She just wished she could've played it for him in person, instead of as a distant tribute. Clair de Lune, by Claude Debussy.

Unbeknown to Kaede, Rantaro was standing outside her lab. He was slanted against the wall with his arms folded. Miu joined him shortly after.

"What're you doin' here?" Miu asked him.

"Just making sure she's okay," Rantaro replied, "and I was kinda curious to hear her play. She doesn't disappoint, right?"

"Yeah. Gotta give it to her, she's pretty fuckin' good."

The pair stood in silence and listened to Kaede play. Though the door between them slightly muffled the quality of the piece, it was nonetheless beautiful. Suddenly, they could hear Kaede burst into tears. Her crying gave Rantaro a look of concern, and he couldn't help but reach for the doorknob.

"No, leave her," Miu insisted, "she'll be fine."

Rantaro sighed and retracted his arm, leaning back against the wall. "If you say so."

"I'm not one for all this soppy, mopey bullshit," Miu continued, "but she's stronger than she looks, much as I hate to admit it."

"Miu Iruma giving someone else a compliment? Now that is a first."

"Whatever, dude. She'll be back to her regular self in no time. You said it yourself, didn'tcha?"

"Hm?"

"She's the only one who can end this killing game. We know it. She probably secretly thinks it."

"It's true, I guess I did say that, huh? She's got a real shot. No doubt about it."

"Yup...that's why I came back for her in the first place..."

* * *

**CHAPTER 01 - END**

**SURVIVING STUDENTS: 14**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Shuichi a lot. Killing him off in place of Kaede wasn't easy, but I hope you guys will stick with me as I continue the fic. Thank you all who've been reading with each update! You guys rock and I genuinely wouldn't be doing this without you. Now I gotta plan out the next chapter. Who knows where we'll end up now the path has diverged?


	9. 02 - Daily Life 1

The grating klaxon of Monokuma's monitors infested the dorms - more unwelcome and obnoxious than usual. Kaede groaned as she stirred awake. As an absurdly low number of hours of sleep gave way to a fraction of consciousness, two very stark shades filled her blurry vision. It took her at least a minute to register that Monokuma was stood at the end of her bed.

"Gah!!" she screamed aloud as the penny finally dropped - it was all she could manage to not comically launch herself out of bed. "Wh-what are you doing in my room?!"

"Um, technically it's  _my_ room," the bear replied in an overly smart-ass tone, "you're just living here temporarily! Or permanently, depending on the hand you're dealt."

"Get out of my room, you stupid bear!"

"Oh, I carry you back to the dorms - when I _should_ have been taking my beauty sleep - and  _this_ is the thanks I get?! I'm here because it seems naughty girls aren't going to bed on time! More specifically, I found you passed out in your damn lab!"

"Oh...right..."

To say last night had taken a toll on Kaede would be a gross understatement. Instead of heading back to the dorms, she played piano in her lab to the point of exhaustion. It wasn't that she'd planned on doing that, but as she thought about it now, it was probably the only way she was ever going to get some sleep that night.

"You shoulda seen yourself! Slumped over the keys, snoring up a storm! I gotta say, for breaking school rules I was  _preeetty_ tempted to just slam the lid on your head and have done with you! Buuuut, I was in a good mood, and I could see you were pretty torn up after the trial and all, sooooo, I just brought you back here instead. Don't say your old pal Monokuma never did ya any favours, 'kay?"

"Th-thanks, I guess?"

"But lemme tell ya, Kaede, you're on your final warning now! Thin ice! And guess which one of your adorable ursine buddies will be under that ice when it breaks?"

"I don't have any adorable ursine buddies. Can you leave me be now?"

"Grrrr, kids these days! No respect! Fine, I'll get going. Got better things to do anyway. Just get your lazy ass to breakfast and we'll call it evens!"

With that out of the way, Monokuma disappeared, leaving the pianist to her own devices. Just after showering and getting dressed, she heard a soft but firm knock on her dorm room door. Kaede quickly adjusted her tie and opened the door. It was Tenko.

"H-hey, Kaede!"

"Good morning, Tenko. How are you feeling today?"

"Forget about me!" the martial artist insisted. "Everyone's already in the canteen, besides you, so I was getting a little worried. How are you holding up?"

"I won't lie, I've been better," Kaede admitted, "got an awful headache, too, no thanks to that damn bear."

"W-w-w-w-wait...Monokuma was in your room?! Like, this morning?! What a total creep!"

"Yeah, when I woke up. He scared the life out of me. Definitely the last thing I wanted to see...especially after last night."

"Well, that's why I'm here. The conversation in the canteen kinda got turned over to you...and your wellbeing. So I volunteered to check up on you. We definitely don't want any of the guys talking about you behind your back! Right?"

It was at this moment that Kaede realised she hadn't eaten since well before dinner time yesterday. Just thinking of Kirumi's hearty cooking put her mind at ease, if only for a spell.

"Sure," the pianist nodded, "let's head over to the canteen, then!"

* * *

Kaede and Tenko could hear the usual lively chatter on the other side of the canteen door.

"It's...like nothing happened," Kaede said to Tenko softly.

"Oh, no, it's not like that," she replied reassuringly, "we're all just trying to move on, y'know?"

"Yeah. I suppose that's for the best."

"Hey, you don't have to go in there if you're not ready, okay?"

"N-no, it's fine. Gotta keep up appearances, right? And to tell you the truth, I don't think staying cooped up in my room feeling sorry for myself would do me any good."

"Heh, I suppose so. I like that about you, Kaede."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're...really strong, is what I mean. Like, I might be able to suplex a cow, but up here?" Tenko playfully prodded her head. "A-anyway...let's eat, alright?"

"Yeah. I'm starving."

The room fell silent as Tenko and Kaede entered the canteen. Just like before, the group weren't entirely sure where to lay their eyes. Kaede's presence had certainly muddled the mood, so she decided to break the silence herself.

"Hey...everyone," she said meekly.

"Kaede! How you holdin' up?" Kaito immediately responded, broad smiled.

"I'll be okay," Kaede nodded, "I have to be, y'know?"

"Good morning, Kaede," Kirumi bowed, "Kiibo and I have prepared French toast for everyone. Help yourself to as much as you like."

"That's right!" Kiibo pronounced proudly. "Thanks to my toasting functionality, I can be of even more use to you all!"

"You mean you can  _finally_ be of use to us all," Himiko joked.

"Hey, now, let's not downplay the fact that Kiibo's a glorified toaster," said Rantaro, "and a damn good one at that."

"Y-you guys are making fun of me right now, aren't you?" Kiibo sighed.

"Of course not, Kiibo!" Angie smiled. "We're simply complimenting your excellent food preparation skills!"

The group shared in a bout of laughter at the robot's expense. Everyone except Kaede, who was starting to look visibly frustrated.

"Um, Kaede? Are you feeling okay?" Tenko asked nervously, noticing the pianist was trembling.

"Yeah...I'm fine, Tenko. I'm just peachy." Kaede replied, her voice audibly shaking.

"You sure?" Kaito asked. "You sure don't look fine."

"Perhaps you just need to eat some breakfast," Korekiyo chimed in, "I assure you, Kirumi's french toast is delectable."

"Just what the hell has gotten into you guys?!" Kaede suddenly erupted, her face flush with anger. "Kokichi and Shuichi are dead and all you can do about it is...is eat and laugh?! Do any of you even care about what happened?!"

The room fell silent - so much so that one would've been able to hear a pin drop. The group didn't really know how to address Kaede's anger, and so an awkward silence ensued for an uncomfortable amount of time.

"It's...not that Gonta doesn't care, it's not that _any_ of us don't care," the entomologist was the one to finally break the palpable silence, "but, this is all we can do, right?"

"Yeah, I hate to say it, Kaede, but Gonta's right," Ryoma added, "nothing's gonna bring 'em back and we have to accept that. We just gotta move on, like it or not. And I assure you, I definitely don't like it."

"I wouldn't have put it so bluntly myself, but, I think what Ryoma's trying to say is..." Tsumugi paused, collecting her thoughts, "the best thing we can do is try to keep each other sane, is it not?"

"Pretty much, yeah," the tennis pro nodded, adjusting the brim of his hat, "course I wish they were still with us, but we gotta make do with the hand we've been dealt."

"I know," Kaede sighed, calming down slightly, "I'm...sorry. You guys probably know how on edge I am right now."

"You and Shuichi were quite close, right?" Maki asked.

"I...don't know if I would say close. I don't really know how close any of us are, really. But he was my friend. Both him and Kokichi were my friends. As are all of you, I should hope."

"Friend is...one way of describing it, I suppose," Korekiyo shrugged.

"Hey, shut it, Kiyo," Kaito stood up suddenly, giving a jovial thumbs up, "you know ya got a friend in me, Kaede!"

"Heh, I won't pretend like you're not incredibly annoying," Miu said, "but you're better than most of these other chuds, for sure."

"See, Kaede?" Tenko smiled, clasping Kaede's hand. "We're here for you!"

"Yeah. Everyone, thank you! I consider you all to be my friends. I just don't want my friends killing each other anymore..."

"Fear not, Kaede!" Kiibo thrust his hands on his hips. "My creator didn't program me with any kind of violent instinct! I'm approximately 99.879% more likely to be a victim!"

"That's not something to be proud of, Kiibo," Himiko mumbled.

"Hah, yeah, way to paint a target on your back, dumbass!" Miu howled.

Kaede finally sat down for breakfast. She did her best to fit in, joining in conversation wherever she could. Yet no matter how hard she tried, the grisly sight of Shuichi's execution was always at the forefront of her mind. And who could really blame her? It was a truly horrific sight, cynically engineered by Monokuma to be displayed as nightmarish as humanly possible. No, not even humanly. What they had witnessed happen to the detective was beyond comprehension. It was utterly macabre, yet borderline cartoonish and playful in nature. It went without saying, but it was something Kaede never wanted to witness again.

* * *

Breakfast came and went, mercifully without Monokuma showing up to ruin the mood. It seemed the bear had taken something of a backseat role outside of the trial process. It was a topic she was discussing with Rantaro and Miu as they walked through the halls of the academy.

"I kinda wish that fuckin' bear would show his ugly mug, y'know?" Miu growled in her usual forced, but ultimately non-intimidating mannerism. "God I'd just love to strap his ass to a rocket and blast him into the damn sun."

"Hehe, now  _that's_ something I'd pay to see," Rantaro said, "buuuut, I'd doubt he'd even give you the chance."

"He's right Miu," Kaede nodded, "Monokuma looks a little useless, but something tells me he'd have you beat in a one-on-one fight."

"Ohhhh, you're r-right, I guess," Miu sighed, sounding deflated, "he'd probably strap  _me_ to that rocket instead, huh?"

"Are you trying to predict your future punishment, or something?" Rantaro smirked.

"F-fuck, no! Unlike Detective Dumbass, I ain't stupid enough to kill anyone, got it?! O-oh...sorry, Kaede."

"Yeesh. Read the room a little, maybe?" Rantaro chastised the inventor. Predictably, that had soured Kaede's mood somewhat.

"Nah, it's okay," Kaede shook her head, "Miu's a very pent-up person. She lets out her frustrations in some pretty interesting ways, doesn't she?"

"H-hey! D-do you gotta refer to me in the third person?! I'm standin' right here!!"

Kaede and Rantaro shared a chuckle at the inventor's expense.

"Well, at least you apologised," Kaede said, "that's a rarity in and of itself."

"By the way, you guys have nothing better to do, right?" Rantaro asked. "What's your plans for today?"

"Oh, I was just gonna head to my lab," Kaede replied, "I feel like playing piano will help me take my mind off all this."

"Understandable," nodded Miu, "seems like the labs are designed for us to blow off steam. Not like there's anything better to do 'round here, anyways."

"You two are lucky," Rantaro said, "I don't think anyone else's labs are open yet, right?"

"Hmm, not that I've seen," Kaede replied after some thought, "not unless some of them are hidden."

"Welp, guess I'm gonna hit up my lab, too," Miu said, diverging from the other two as they passed the entrance, "catch you two morons later."

She left Kaede and Rantaro to themselves.

"Ugh, I seriously can't get a read on that girl," Kaede said grumpily, folding her arms.

Rantaro reassured the pianist. "Don't stress about it. She's weird, but she doesn't strike me as a killer."

"Does anyone here strike you as a killer? Because I really didn't think Shuichi would be..."

"I guess that's a good point," Rantaro sighed.

The two became awkwardly silent. It was a somewhat convenient silence, though, as it gave Kaede a moment to collect her thoughts - reflect on everything that had happened thus far. Suffice it to say, Kaede's life had been turned inside and out since she was spirited to the academy. The pianist was sure she'd been kidnapped, but the who, where and why mystified her. She'd hoped to devise a plan that would remove the so-called mastermind from the equation, allowing the group to escape. The plan, of course, fell to ruin and led to the deaths of Kokichi and Shuichi. Two people she felt had helped encourage and support her - albeit both in very different ways. Now, though, as she reached her lab with Rantaro, she was ready to decompress and spend some time recreationally.

"Here we are," Kaede said, breaking the earlier silence, "I guess this is where we part ways for now, huh?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind hearing you play again," Rantaro said calmly, "do you mind if I go in with you?"

"Oh, sure! It's been a while since I played for an audience of one."

"Yeah? When was the last time?"

"Uh, besides my parents, I played for the President of Ukraine a couple of years ago."

"N-no way! That's seriously impressive!"

"Oh, it was nothing, really. W-wait, did you say you wanted to hear me play  _again?"_

"Uhh, I misspoke, don't worry about that! So, uh, can I?"

"Heh, of course! Come on in!"

* * *

"Wow, that was...that was absolutely stunning," Rantaro was left utterly in awe after Kaede concluded her performance.

"Thank you very much!" Kaede clasped her hands together in thanks. "That was Three Pieces for Piano, one of the many, many collections of pieces by a Ukrainian composer called Viktor Kosenko. Not much of his work survives today, but I absolutely love how challenging they are."

"That's really amazing! I'm guessing that's what you played for that Ukrainian president, too, huh?"

"Nope! For him I played Three Blind Mice."

"Y-you're kidding..."

"Ha, I wish I was! He seemed happy with it, though."

"So, this Three Pieces for Piano, what is it about? Sounded like it covered a pretty broad range."

Kaede didn't answer immediately. She looked toward the barred windows of her lab, sighed, before looking back down at the piano keys in front of her.

"It's...about a lot of things," she said somewhat reservedly, "hope, despair, and realisation."

"Realisation?"

"Yeah. If I had to sum it up, the pieces try to channel the feeling of looking toward the future, in the face of extreme hardship. After everything that's happened over the past week, I couldn't think of a more fitting series of pieces to play."

"I see."

Rantaro had been leaning against the wall the entire time. He walked over to Kaede, who despite pouring her heart and soul into her music, was looking a little downtrodden. Rantaro outstretched his arm, gesturing for a handshake.

"We're getting out of here, Kaede. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or who knows when, but we're gonna make it."

Kaede smiled. She was reluctant at first, but slowly reached out her arm, too, and shook Rantaro's hand.

"Is that a promise?"

"Well, who can really say for sure?"

"Heh, let's call it a tentative promise, then."

Suddenly, the door to Kaede's lab burst open. Startled, the pair had to slightly adjust their vision downwards to see that Ryoma was stood in the doorway.

"Finally found you," he panted, "everyone else is outside, there's something you guys gotta see."

Kaede and Rantaro looked at each other. Without saying a word, they followed Ryoma's instructions and headed outside.

Upon stepping outside, it was immediately clear something had changed about the place. Everyone else in the group was there, too, huddled under umbrellas.

"It's...raining..." Kaede stammered.

"Not just raining," Rantaro added, "it's absolutely pouring."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay on this one, guys! My personal life has been on fire recently due to work becoming a ton busier for the Christmas period. If I can, I'll try and have the next update out sooner. I've got some pretty interesting plans for this fic, more now than I did when I started, so I hope you'll stick with me until then :)


	10. 02 - Daily Life 2

Kaede and Rantaro looked toward the sky, dumbfounded. Not so much by the fact that it was raining - Kaede herself was from a part of Japan that had higher than average levels of precipitation - but that it was the first time since they arrived at the academy that the weather had changed _at all._

"Hey, 'bout time you two showed up," Miu made herself known to the late arrivals, "here, take these umbrellas. I slaved away for twenty minutes makin' these, so I'd be mighty thankful if you used 'em."

"Sure, thanks," Kaede replied as she opened the umbrella, "so, how long has it been raining for?"

"Uhh, about half an hour, give or take," Himiko answered, "my hat is soaked through already..."

"Himiko! If you're worried about your hair getting wet, you're more than welcome to use my jacket as cover...if you want?" Tenko said kindly.

"Th-that's okay. I'll live. Thanks, though, Tenko..."

"Isn't it wonderful, Kaede?" Angie said happily. "It's a divine blessing from Atua Himself!"

"H-how can you be so sure of that?!" Kaito questioned, understandably.

"Let's...not encourage her," Korekiyo responded drolly, "the last thing we need right now is more tedious discourse on divine intervention."

"Spoken like a true anthropologist," Maki quipped sarcastically, "aren't you supposed to be a man of culture, or something?"

"Culture is one thing. The ramblings of a lunatic are something else entirely."

"Takes one to know one, I guess," Ryoma whispered to Maki. She registered his jibe with the rarest and subtlest of smirks.

"So, has anyone seen that damn bear anywhere?" asked Rantaro. "I figure he's the one behind this. Gotta be."

"Ta-da! You called for me, so I appeared!" Monokuma instantly materialised in front of the group. "And absolutely right you are, my fair haired chump!"

"You mean you can change the weather, just like that?" Tsumugi asked, surprised. "I didn't think you had _that_ much power."

"Ah, nothin' to it, really," the bear responded nonchalantly, "you kids never heard of cloud seeding?"

"I've heard of it, but never seen it in action like this," Kaede said, "but I thought it was used to combat droughts, mainly."

"Ehh, droughts, stadium events, prison breaks, disposing of evidence...it can be used for anything if you put your mind to it!  _But Monokuma,_ you yell through my window as I try to hibernate,  _why would you possibly want to make it rain? Surely it wouldn't have anything to do with...our next motive?!_ Puhuhuhuhuu!"

"I knew it!" Miu shouted. "No way this rain was gonna be just for show!"

"M-motive? Gonta is not going to kill anyone!"

"Damn right!" Kaito boasted. "It's gonna take more than a little rain to dampen our spirits! Right, guys?!"

"Hmm, after scanning my memory banks for common human phrases, I was unable to find a string of text that matched what you just said, Kaito," Kiibo said pedantically, "but I understand the sentiment. We will not become murderers for you again, Monokuma!"

"Something tells me it's going to be a bit more complicated than that, "Kirumi explained, "right, Monokuma?"

"Oho, you  _are_ a sharp one, Ms. Maid!"

"Please, call me Kirumi."

"Allow me to explain the next dastardly motive for you all now!" the mechanical bear continued. "Over the course of the next few days, the rain will continue to pour without cease! You'll find the facilities of this academy will become increasingly unusable as the water rises. You might even drown in your sleep! Puhuhu!"

"Let me guess," Rantaro said, "the rain will stop if somebody dies, right?"

"Hey, spoilers! I wasn't done explaining yet! But yes, to cut a long story short, if one of you fails to die, you'll all end up buried in a  _very_ watery grave! Oh, and don't even think about swimming over the perimeter. I've got my Exisals on autopilot, ready to blast you away if you try to escape! So don't even try it!! Oh! And before I split, I thought you all should know that more facilities have been opened up in the academy! This is the part where I would've let my darling Monokubs take the reigns, but they're in a better place now...anyhow, happy exploring!!"

With that out of the way, Monokuma left the group to their own devices.

"More facilities, huh?" Himiko wondered. "Does that mean more labs have opened up?"

"Hey! Maybe we should head back inside and find out!" Tenko suggested to the mage. "Sure beats standing out here getting wet, right?"

Himiko nodded, and the pair headed back inside.

"So if no one dies, we all drown," Kaede sighed dejectedly, "isn't that just wonderful?"

"What, you're just gonna take it lyin' down?" Miu asked pointedly. "Where's your usual airheadedness, huh?"

"Miu, I tried taking action once already, and two of my friends died as a direct result."

"C'mon, you can't blame yourself for all that," Rantaro shook his head, "their sins are their own."

"No, I can and will blame myself for it. I won't make the same mistake again."

"So you're sittin' this one out, huh?" Miu rolled her eyes, trying not to look as disappointed as she was.

"I dunno," Kaede sighed again, "we've still got time. Let's just see what happens."

"Oh, sure, and what am I supposed to do? Make life rafts for everyone?"

"Ah! Excellent idea, Miu!" Kiibo suddenly piped up. "We may not be able to stop the rain, but a life raft will surely keep us above the water!"

"Pretty sure the rain'll make you rust over before then, Kiibo," Ryoma brought the robot back down to reality, "and that's the best case scenario. You'll probably have your circuits fried before then."

"Wh-what?! R-rain can do that to robots?!"

Miu planted her face in her palm. "Kiibo, how are you  _this_ fuckin' dense?"

When the group finally dispersed, only Kaede was left stood in front of the academy. She watched the fierce torrent of rain crash onto the tiles below her feet, contemplating what (if anything) she could do to improve the situation. She sighed and looked back upwards, noticing a solitary person stood just a ways in front of her. It was Angie. The artist stood almost perfectly immobile, her back turned to Kaede. It was a good thing Angie had one of Miu's umbrellas, Kaede thought to herself. Angie didn't wear a lot of clothing at the best of times, and while her yellow overalls could've doubled as a raincoat, it might not be enough to stop her from catching a cold. Concerned, Kaede approached Angie from behind.

"Hey, Angie?" she tried. "Shouldn't you be heading back inside, like everyone else?"

"Ah, Kaede. I suppose I should," she replied, "I'm just taking a few moments to myself. So I can really take in this miracle from above!"

"M-miracle?"

"It's marvellous, isn't it? This rain...I believe it is a sign from Atua!"

"W-well, I'm happy that your faith is helping you to cope," Kaede said, otherwise lost for words.

"Oh, no, you misunderstand _,_ Kaede. I don't require comfort in this matter. Actually I would say I feel rather at home in this academy! If the rain is truly a message from Atua, then I believe He is watching over me. Over all of us. All we need to do is trust in Him. He will keep us safe if we simply put our faith in Him."

"But...Monokuma said he was the one responsible for the rain..."

Angie chuckled softly. "Then perhaps Monokuma is His vessel for communicating with us."

A sharp shiver ran its way down Kaede's spine. An mixture of unnerving confusion and rising frustration.  "You...can't be serious, right? Monokuma wants us to kill each other. Atua doesn't strike me as the bloodthirsty type."

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. It is not our position to judge His methods. Atua works - and has always worked - in mysterious ways. Now should be no different."

"So you'd happily watch your friends die just to appease your god? Is that it?"

"Of course not. Worshippers of Atua are not so indoctrinated as to throw away all independent thought. That's the last thing He wants. I don't want anyone else to die. I would prefer if we could coexist. But if Atua requires us to root out the obstacles to that ultimate goal..." Angie paused for a moment. She turned around, and looked directly into Kaede's eyes, "...then so be it."

Angie walked past Kaede, back into the academy. The pianist was left dumbfounded and deeply unnerved by Angie's speech. The artist was up to something, that much was certain. Kaede just didn't know what. Yet Kaede knew who her closest allies were in that moment. She made a mental note to relay this conversation with Miu and Rantaro later.

"Was...that a threat?" Kaede wondered to herself.

* * *

After that bizarre altercation with Angie, Kaede had to clear her head. She took a walk around the ground floor of the academy. In doing so she noticed that Himiko was trying to hide her delight at her newly opened Ultimate Lab. It was about time others started to get those, Kaede thought. Up on the first floor, even more labs had opened up. Namely Kirumi's, Ryoma's and Gonta's. Peering inside each, Kaede noticed that each lab's respective owner were getting to know their new rooms. It brought the pianist some semblance of comfort, at least for the ones who did have their labs. At least they'd be able to, much like herself and Miu, enjoy the familiarity of their professions before all was said and done. The said and done part, of course, Kaede didn't really want to think about at present.

One other room had opened up on the first floor, too. Just from looking at the door, Kaede couldn't immediately tell who this lab belonged to, if it was in fact a lab. Curious, she approached the door and reached for the handle when...

"You don't wanna do that," the paralyzing glare of one Maki Harukawa appeared in the crack between the door and the frame.

"O-oh, hi, Maki," Kaede stammered, taken aback at the girl's sudden appearance behind the door, "is uhhh...is this your lab?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Um, me?"

"Ah, no one important, then."

With that, Maki slammed the door shut. Kaede didn't even manage to take a peek inside. But why? What could the Ultimate Child Caregiver actively want to hide? Dumbfounded, Kaede simply shrugged and summarised the exchange as another example of Maki's demonstrated introversion.

Back downstairs, Kaede ran into Kaito, who despite everything was as chirpy as ever.

"Yo, Kaede!" he waved at the pianist. "The gym outside's just opened up, too! You wanna go for a swim?"

"It's raining, Kaito," Kaede replied in an unusually deadpan manner.

"No worries there! It's an indoor pool. Plus, who cares? You'd be gettin' wet either way, y'know?"

"I'll um, I'll pass for now. I was actually gonna head back to my lab. Figured we have a little time before the rain starts to become a real problem, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'm tryin' not to think too much about it myself. Besides, I'm sure we'll be able to figure somethin' out with you around!"

"I'm not a miracle worker, Kaito. I'm just another prisoner here, like everyone else."

"Right, right. But...you're gonna at least try to figure somethin' out?"

"Of course. I owe everyone at least that much."

"Alright, that's the attitude!"

"No, it is not," Kirumi walked into the pair's midst.

"Hey, Kirumi! What's up!" Kaito waved.

"I was just heading over to the kitchen to prepare dinner," Kirumi said, "and I couldn't help but overhear your exchange. Kaede, you're not seriously considering shouldering the burden on your own, are you?"

"Well, no, but..."

"This will be rather uncharacteristic of a maid, but, will you allow me to be blunt for a moment?"

"Sure. I can take it."

"Very well. I know you're hurt by what happened to Shuichi--"

"Woah, Kirumi!" Kaito interrupted. "Now's not the time!"

"No, Kaito. It's fine, let her continue."

"As I was saying, I know you're hurt by what happened the other night. And I appreciate your commitment to helping everyone the best you can. But you're not going to accomplish anything on your own."

"I know that...I just wanna get us all out of here. I'm sure you do, too."

"Naturally. I have business outside of these walls that I'm most interested in resuming. As will everyone else."

"Yup," Kaito nodded, "and I bet some of us'll be willin' to kill for it."

"That's quite astute of you, Kaito," Kirumi nodded back, "though it's a bitter pill to swallow, Kaede, I wanted to advise you not to do everything by yourself."

"O-of course, thank you, Kirumi."

"You already have acquaintances here you trust above others, I presume?"

"Yeah. Rantaro and Miu--"

"And Kaito! Don't forget about me, Kaede!"

"--s-sure, and you, Kaito."

"Feel free to add me to that list, too," Kirumi smiled warmly, "I have no intention of killing, so I hope we can work together to find a way out of here."

Suddenly, Kirumi removed the glove on her right hand, and held out her arm to offer a handshake. Kaede eagerly accepted, smiling back as the two girls shook on it.

"H-hey, I was actually about to head to my lab," Kaede said, "would you two like to hear me play? I could use a small audience right about now."

"I would be glad to accept such a request," Kaede nodded.

"I dunno too much about piano, but I'm achin' to hear you play!" Kaito beamed happily.

However, as the trio approached Kaede's lab, something was different. Very different.

**_*rattle* *rattle* *rattle*_ **

"H-huh?! What gives?!" Kaede said in a panic.

"What's up?"

"Yes, what seems to be the matter, Kaede?"

"I-it's locked!" the pianist yelled. "My lab's been locked!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	11. 02 - Free Time 1

"Wait...whaddya mean it's locked?!" Kaito yelped as Kaede rattled the door handle futilely. "You mean it's not opening?"

"Given that a lock is a binary state, Kaito," Kirumi replied calmly, "I would presume that, no, the door is not opening."

The two were silenced by a loud thud. Kaede kicked the door in frustration before giving up. "Hey, Monokuma!"

"Yyyyyyou called?" the bear swiftly materialised in front of the three.

"Yeah, I did! Why is the door to my lab locked?!"

Monokuma didn't answer. He tilted his head and waddled over to the door. His stubby arms just about reached the handle. Unfortunately, he gave up after a few brief attempts to get the door open.

"Huh, that's odd. Yup, it's locked alright!" he said finally.

"That isn't helpful," replied Kirumi in a lightly scolding tone.

"I mean, I dunno what else to tell ya except, uhh, that sucks!! Sorry! Puhuhuhuhuu!"

"Hey, man! That's not cool!" Kaito shouted. "Kaede's got all her things in there! Like uh, her piano, her umm...piano sheets, and--"

"That room is the one place in this academy where I can feel any semblance of normalcy!" Kaede pleaded to Monokuma. "Surely you have the key, or a spare, or...something?"

"Okay, look," the bear said condescendingly, "just 'cos I run the show 'round here doesn't mean I have to carry spare keys for everyone! I don't even have any pockets!"

"So, what, am I just supposed to deal with it?" Kaede said dejectedly.

"Guess so! Sorry I couldn't help ya out. Wait, no I'm not. I can't stand you bastards! Puhuhuhu!"

"Just...get out of here already."

"Fine, fine. A bear know when he's not wanted. Ciao!"

Kaede stepped away from the door. Pressing her back against the opposite wall, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Hey, don't stress about it, Kaede," Kaito tried consoling her, "there's plenty other labs open now. Maybe you could share one with someone?"

"Hmm, that's not a bad idea, Kaito," Kirumi nodded, "needless to say, my lab and services are always open to you, Kaede."

"Yeah, thanks, you two," Kaede smiled, "I think I'll go see how the others are doing for now."

Kaede left the other two and headed upstairs. She still had to properly familiarise herself with the second floor. Not to mention, she felt a little safer being a few more metres higher than the slowly rising rain water that would no doubt start seeping through the academy's entrance pretty soon. Between Rantaro, Miu, Kaito and Kirumi, she felt secure in the clique of friends she'd made. Yet simultaneously she felt so alone. Kokichi and Shuichi, two companions who (for better or worse) had helped ease her into her new life in this twisted academy, were now long dead. Despite her best mental efforts, she still felt largely responsible for their respective demises, and hoped that she wouldn't be the cause of anymore deaths.

As Kaede walked up the stairs, she reflected on Shuichi's reasoning for wanting to murder her. After all, she  _was_ the intended target of his trap. Kokichi's involvement was simply unaccounted for - or if she were to be cynical, a twisted form of luck. The only reason he gave was that he wanted to be liked, to belong. He wanted to fit in, and felt so betrayed when Kaede admitted she'd used him to a degree for her own plans. But the more she ran it through her mind, the more she felt like that motive just didn't add up. She thought that surely, that couldn't actually be his reason, right? Despite only knowing Shuichi for a few days, she knew him to be kind, sincere and friendly, if a little shy. He was as honest and straightforward as one could be, so much so that Kaede was starting to believe that his final motive was one giant lie. Maybe in time, if Kaede herself could stay alive, she would find another piece of the puzzle that would make sense of it all.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone else out of fear of showing weakness, but Kaede missed Shuichi terribly. Each night when she closed her eyes to go to sleep, all she could see was him. All she could play back in her mind were her own selfish and misguided decisions that had ultimately led to Shuichi's death. She could almost feel an imaginary dagger, constantly twisting and warping into her gut, increasingly driving home the pain and guilt she felt at losing someone she could call a close ally and friend. In that moment she stopped walking, and allowed herself to be enveloped in the despair and shame of putting Shuichi on the path to his demise. She slumped down against the wall, clutching her legs tight to her chest and burying her head against her knees.

Kaede let out a trembling sigh, and looked up towards the ceiling. It wasn't your fault, the girl thought. She repeated those words over and over in her mind. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault. Deep down Kaede knew she was in denial. A purely selfish denial to help absolve herself of some of the nauseating guilt. Whether Shuichi's motive was true or if there was more to it than he let on, it mattered little to Kaede. Either way, she'd brought him into the game of chess that was her plan to kill the mastermind. If Kaede was the player, both Shuichi and Kokichi had been the involuntary pawns blindsided by her opponent. Kokichi's last words may have been a throwaway line fitting of the Ultimate Supreme Leader, yet they rang truer than even she had thought. She really did suck at chess.

* * *

"Is something the matter, Kaede?"

The voice shook Kaede back into reality. Looking over, she saw Korekiyo, arms folded and his half-covered face staring at her.

"Oh, hey, Korekiyo," Kaede replied quietly.

"My, my, something is troubling you, that much is clear. Do you care to share it with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Kaede shrugged. "It's not like I have much else to lose."

Korekiyo sat himself down against the wall opposite Kaede. He crossed his legs and leaned forward in a direct, yet non-hostile manner. "I've been wanting to chat with you for a while. I must admit I find you to be a very interesting specimen."

"Do you call everyone you meet specimens? Or just the people you take pity on?"

"Please, pity is for much weaker minds than you or I." Korekiyo said calmly. "At any rate, I detect some animosity in your voice, and I can't blame you for that. I was rash and hostile towards you during the trial, and for that I must apologise."

"Don't worry about it. What happened happened. It's in the past now."

"Indeed it is. I wanted to give you some credit, actually. The way you handled the investigation and the proceeding trial was calm, collected and nothing short of professional. I dare say that without you we may never have tracked down the killer."

"You say that like it's a good thing," Kaede replied after a long pause.

"That's correct. Because you know as well as I that you had no other choice. We're all aware of how close you were to the departed. I dare say that it was the academy's worst kept secret, if we were to somehow survive and...make a record of our time here."

"Korekiyo, I implore you to spare me your theatrics," Kaede shot back, "this isn't a game. People are dead because of me."

"Very well. Would you prefer I was more blunt? I know it wasn't the outcome you wanted, nor necessarily the one you had anticipated. It might be cold of me to state this, but one sacrifice to preserve the rest of our lives is a better outcome than all of us dying simultaneously, don't you think?"

Kaede said nothing in response. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and perhaps Korekiyo could've put it in gentler terms, but ultimately he was right. Kaede was willing to take a shot at the mastermind or die trying.  _She'd_ been willing to be the sacrifice in all of this. She hadn't planned this far ahead. And now that she was here, still alive, she felt lost - her mind awash in the vast ocean of purgatory. Where once was a bold, passionate Kaede loaded with confidence and vigour, now lay a near empty shell. She wasn't the Kaede who was first spirited to the academy. Nor was she sure she still wanted to be.

"Anyone can see the guilt and regret writ plainly on your face," Korekiyo said, "this is why I've elected not to forge bonds with any of you. I fear the pain would just be too much for me to bear."

"And yet here you sit opposite me, trying to understand me," Kaede replied coldly, "if you're so concerned with avoiding everyone, why are you even bothering to talk to me?"

"A fair question. I suppose I'm just curious to find out where you stand in all of this. Given how hard you fought to reach the truth, do you think it was worth it?"

"You certainly seem to think so."

"But we're not talking about me. All I want is a simple yes or no answer. We're both quite aware of the possibility - or dare I say inevitability - of another one of us being murdered. In which case perhaps I should ask a fairer question. Will you continue to be the Kaede we saw during the trial? Or are you happy to give into the despair you're feeling now?"

Kaede didn't have to think long about her response. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh?"

"Whether I continue to be someone who wants to fight for the truth, or if I want to hand the baton to somebody else. Either way it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Please, elaborate."

"What more is there to say? I was foolish to be as optimistic as I was. I had that optimism beaten out of me in the worst way imaginable. By trying to lead the charge, by trying to find a way out that worked for everyone, I was punished gravely for my actions. In trying to hold everyone together, I didn't bring any joy or hope to any one of us. All I did was create misery and death. Probably painted a pretty big target on myself, too."

Korekiyo stood up, seemingly satisfied with the honest answer Kaede gave. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Kaede." The strange boy tipped his cap down.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, nothing. It only seems to me like you're torn. Torn between the responsibilities of being the antidote to our problems...or to exacerbate them. Either way, you won't be able to do all this alone. Try sharing your burden, while you still can."

Korekiyo walked off, leaving Kaede in silence.

"Try sharing your burden, huh...easy for him to say."

Yet she knew Korekiyo had a point. Continuing down this path would only break her. But not knowing what to do about that immediately, Kaede decided it might be a good time to at least check in on some of the others. Perhaps they could help lighten her mood, and if so, Korekiyo was probably onto something after all.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to break up the Free Time segment of Chapter 2 into two parts, for a number of reasons. This part was already getting pretty long and I got worried that the second half (which will basically be the actual free time segment) would increase the word count to a cumbersome degree. This part also kinda became its own thing, as more of a character study for Kaede and her now fluctuating mindset. As she was never designed to be around for longer than one chapter originally, my goal here is to express some creative freedom with her character while also maintaining her no-nonsense attitude that made me love her in V3. I hope that I was able to have her come across as believable in her thought process here.
> 
> That, and the second part of Free Time will be more lighthearted overall, and I didn't want those two tones to clash if I put them all in one chapter. Also it's been just over a month since my last update and wanted to keep up appearances I guess!


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